Monroe Vs. Saline: 5 Takeaways
Recap With winter weather wreaking havoc on boys basketball schedules, Monroe and Saline matched up for a game originally scheduled for the day before. It was an SEC Red game, with both teams hoping to earn the 4th spot behind…
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With winter weather wreaking havoc on boys basketball schedules, Monroe and Saline matched up for a game originally scheduled for the day before. It was an SEC Red game, with both teams hoping to earn the 4th spot behind the 3 Ann Arbor schools.
The game got off to a slow start, with Monroe earning an early 4-0 lead. Monroe continued to move the ball well, but Saline did a great job closing out on shooters. Saline came storming back behind four 3 pointers in the 1st quarter.
Saline led 15-9 at the start of the 2nd quarter. Monroe stayed within striking distance behind senior guard Maleik Linton’s agressive drives to the rim. Saline was paced by Griffin Yaklich’s 7 points in the 2nd quarter. The Hornets took a 31-20 lead into the half.
The Saline faithful were a bit nervous as star Griffin Yaklich did not return at the beginning of the 2nd half after an injury before halftime. They had no reason to worry as he returned at the 5:21 mark in the 3rd and Saline’s offense caught fire. They scored 22 3rd quarter points, leading 53-30 at the end of the quarter.
The 4th quarter turned into a free throw shooting contest as both teams hit the bonus. Saline went to their youthful bench with 5 minutes left in the game. They rolled out 1 freshman, 3 sophomores, and a junior. Saline rolled to a 68-43 final over Monroe.
5 Takeaways
Saline was excellent closing out on shooters.
Especially early in the game, Monroe got looks at the basket. Saline negated those looks by closing out on shooters. Griffin Yaklich, Peter Jacobsen, and junior forward Tyler Belskus closed out quickly with their arms straight up making every shot a tough one.
Monroe’s Maleik Linton was solid on the dribble drive.
The senior guard had 7 first half points, all coming from aggressive attacks at the basket. He was most comfortable going left, but showed the ability to control the ball with both hands.
Griffin Yaklich continues to impress.
The 6’3″ junior guard is one of the top 20 prospects in the class of 2020. He only had 9 points against Monroe, but that only tells part of the story. Yaklich facilitates for the entire team and is a leader on the defensive end.
Welcome back Trevor Arico.
He scored a team high 21 points against Monroe. Arico was out with an injury at the beginning of the season and took a bit to find his shooting groove. He appears to have found it and Saline is a different team with him at his best.
Monroe is much more disciplined than in previous years.
Despite the lopsided loss, I was much more impressed with Monroe than in previous seasons. From the pregame warmup through the final buzzer, they looked more focused. Monroe passed the ball well and worked their offense. They fought on the defensive end and attacked the glass.