MARYSVILLE Seniors Blake Scheller and Colin Thomason helped the Tomahawks hold onto a 32-22 halftime lead to narrowly defeat Monroe 52-49.
Appropriately, the two seniors scored the final four points at the free-throw line to secure the victory after M-P and the Bearcats exchanged a one-point lead four times in the Dec. 21 games closing minutes.
That was a little too close for comfort, said M-P coach Bary Gould after the nailbiting game gutted out at the charity stripe. I told them theyre making me old, he added after the teams second consecutive victory decided by four points.
The Tomahawks built their halftime lead on a blockbuster 19-7 run in the second quarter in every other period of the game, Monroe outscored the home team. Scheller and Thomason were essential to Marysvilles game in those other quarters, with 26 points of their 29 total points coming in the first, third and fourth quarter. The rest of the lineup added seven.
A lot of people were sick over the last couple weeks and I just had to step it up, said Scheller of his season-high 15 points against Monroe. Of the eight he scored in the first quarter, he added, I just saw a lot of open lanes so I decided to penetrate early on.
While Monroe was able to force some turnovers by getting in between the rest of the M-P offense and Tomahawk inside man Taylor Stevens, they had no answer for Schellers drives or Thomasons presence around the court.
They know Taylor now, Gould said.
Gould also credited junior guard Ryan Lanpheres defense for creating Monroe turnovers and corresponding M-P fast-break opportunities.
Monroes offense was almost exclusively a two-man effort. Seniors James MacIntyre and Tim Pearl had 16 field goals from two-point range. Twelve of their points came in the fourth quarter as the game looked like it could go either way.
After leading by 10 early in the fourth quarter, the Tomahawks watched it all dwindle away. MacIntyre score six points as Monroe went on an 11-0 run to take a 47-46 lead with just a couple of minutes left in the game.
The rest of the points were earned at the foul line.
After a foul by Monroes Tim Ohlsen, Thomason was perfect at the line and the Tomahawks went up by one. Then, on an ensuing drive, Monroes Pearl was fouled and answered with two baskets of his own.
With 23 seconds left on the clock, Scheller found the ball in his hands and drew a foul. With the confidence of his game and the crowd behind him, Scheller made both of his baskets, scoring the game-winner with his second throw.
Getting to the basket early on builds up your confidence, Gould said of his leading scorer.
It was another team effort, he added. I think were just learning to share the ball a little better.

At M-P H.S.

M-P 13 19 10 10 52
Monroe 15 7 12 15 49

M-P Kelly 2, Scheller 15, Lanphere 5, Thomason 14, Lovell 2, Forsythe 4, Stevens 10. Monroe Ohlsen 6, Bunge 6, Pearl 16, Waltman 2, MacIntyre 19. 3-point field goals Thomason 2, Lanphere 1, Stevens 1, Ohlsen 2. Records M-P 5-3 overall, 3-2 conference. Monroe 2-3, 1-3.