PORT HURON, Mich. – Following a pair of last second losses to begin the season, the ninth-ranked Macomb Men's Basketball team battled back from an early 13-point deficit to earn a gritty 69-63 victory over the No. 22 Bobcats of Bryant & Stratton College Wisconsin on Thursday (Nov. 20) to open SC4 Thumbcoast Classic play in Port Huron.
 
The Monarchs entered the game shorthanded, down two starters and several key rotation players.
 
After not making a field goal for the first seven minutes of the game, the Monarchs ended the opening half on a 28-17 run to get to within one at the break, 33-32.
 
Second half action saw the Monarchs go ahead by as many as six with 7:19 remaining in the contest, but the 22^nd ranked Bobcats withstood a 54-36 blitz by the Monarchs that spanned the midway point of each half to keep the game close late.
 
Up two with 1:46 to play, the combination of Caron Williams and Malachi Irving made key baskets on back-to-back trips to put the game away late and lead the Monarchs to the six-point triumph.
 
KEY STAT: Despite being shorthanded, the Monarchs' bench outscored the Bobcats' reserves by a stunning 43-0 margin.
 
Irving led all scorers with a game-best 19 points while adding six rebounds and two steals. Williams tallied 15 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, while Lajuan Holloway recorded 15 points and four rebounds.
 
Dante Wimberly had his best game of the young season, posting nine points to accompany a game-leading five assists, while Simon Stockwell tallied six points and five rebounds in 13 minutes of action.
 
The ninth-ranked Monarchs will take on the winner of the No. 1 Parkland vs. Marian Plymouth matchup Friday (Nov. 21) at 5 p.m.