PORT HURON, Mich. – The top-20 showdown between No. 8 Macomb Men's Basketball and the No. 19 SC4 Skippers went in favor of the Monarchs by an 82-63 final Wednesday (Feb. 2) in Port Huron. The victory – the Monarchs 11th in a row – lifted the nation's eighth-ranked team to 17-1 overall and an unblemished 7-0 in MCCAA Eastern Conference action. With the setback, the 19th ranked Skippers fell to 16-7 overall and 6-4 in the MCCAA East.
Wednesday's wire-to-wire victory over the No. 19 Skippers was significant in the standings and for historical purposes as it marked the first win over a ranked opponent for first-year head coach Hassan Nizam.
After tip time was adjusted less than 18 hours prior, Nizam's Monarchs came out ready from the opening jump to take a commanding 43-19 lead at the half. The dominant first half performance over a well-coached Skippers team was made possible by an aggressive team defensive effort and a 22-point outburst from freshman guard Tariq Humes (Farmington, Mich./Elevation Prep).
Humes attacked the basket to go a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe and went 6-of-9 from the floor overall to outscore the Skippers on his own in the first half. The former MCCAA Eastern Conference Player of the Week also added two assists, two rebounds and a pair of steals in a statement first half performance.
After taking a 24 point lead at the half, the Monarchs cruised behind more team play to earn the 19-point victory over a Skippers team that entered Wednesday's league contest 10-3 at home this season.
As a team, the Monarchs shot 46.9% from the field (30-of-63) and connected on 14-of-18 free throws to score 80 or more points for the sixth time in conference play.
Humes led all scorers with a game-high 27 points and added five assists, four rebounds and three steals to continue an impressive freshman campaign. Sophomore guard Elijah Belle (Detroit, Mich./Davenport) posted a stat line of 14 points (four 3PM), three rebounds and two assists, while Delano Williams (Mt. Clemens, Mich./Mt. Clemens) chimed in with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 28 minutes of action.
Jaylen Daughtery (Detroit, Mich./Mott) was once again a force on the boards, recording a team-best 12 rebounds to accompany 10 points for his fourth double-double of the season. Jiovanni Miles (Novi, Mich./Wisconsin-Green Bay) tallied nine points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal, while John Ukomadu (Bloomfield, Mich./Vincennes) accounted for nine points, two blocks and a pair of steals in the ranked road win.
Saturday (Feb. 5) at 3:00 p.m.WCCCDThe Monarchs return home to host
