DEARBORN, Mich. – Tymias Williams (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) posted a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double and five Monarchs reached double figures scoring as No. 5 Macomb Men's Basketball picked up a 93-81 road win over the No. 14 Henry Ford Hawks on Wednesday (Jan. 17). The top-15 road victory over the Hawks lifted the fifth-ranked Monarchs to 13-2 overall and 2-0 in the early stages of MCCAA East action.
The Hawks fell to 9-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play after the 12-point home setback to the Monarchs.
Wednesday's win was the third victory of the season over a ranked opponent for the Monarchs, with all three wins coming away from home (two on the road, one in a neutral-site contest). The win was also marked the first road victory in Dearborn since the 2016-17 season.
After trailing 19-9 in the early stages of the game, the Monarchs settled in and flipped the game's momentum behind a blistering 40-17 run to close the first half. Inside the 40-17 run was a 25-11 tear over the final six minutes of the opening stanza, a tear that resulted in the Monarchs grabbing the lead for good as they went into the halftime break up by 13 points, 49-36.
Second half action saw the two talented teams go back-and-forth, but the Monarchs' strong first half proved to be too much for the Hawks to overcome in the 93-81 decision. The Hawks got to within six points midway through the second half, but the Monarchs answered with a 12-2 run to push their lead out to as many as 16 points in the ranked road win.
Parker Day (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage/GVSU) and
Juwan Maxey (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) followed Williams' 20-point, 10-rebound effort with 18 points and five rebounds each, while
Nate Brown (Flint, Mich./Davison) dropped in 14 points to go along with six rebounds and
Jotham Nweke (Oak Park, Mich./Loyola) recorded 11 points to round out five in double figures scoring.
The Monarchs make their long-awaited return to the home hardwood for a ranked showdown with No. 17 Mott Community College on Saturday (Jan. 20). Tip-off for the Top-20 MCCAA East contest is slated for 3 p.m. at the Sports & Expo Center.
