1st Round Exit-03/02

The Macomb Monarchs traveled to Waterford to lace up the sneakers and play against the Oakland Raiders for the third time this season.  It was a good match-up but for the third time this season the Monarchs were on the losing end of the battle.  The spoils of war go to the victor and with Macomb’s loss by a score of 78-69, Oakland moves on to the next round of competition.  Oakland brought the Windex as the cleaned the glass to a tune of 36-29.  Macomb only turned the ball over 19 times, down from there 30 plus turnovers.  The Monarchs shot an astounding 55% from the floor and distributed the ball 18 times.  Branden “Easy” McKenney led all scorers with 33 points and he added 7 rebounds.  McKenney leaves Macomb as its single season (663) and career leader (1204) in total points scored.  Alan Hardy compiled 15 points and 5 rebounds.  Fresh off an injury and in his last appearance in a Monarch uniform, Adam “The Skipper” Willis brought his game and scored 10 points and dished 4 assist.  Macomb finishes the season with an overall recorded of 14-15. 

Sophomore Day-2/20

Saturday’s game honored Macomb’s graduating sophomores as they played their last home game a Macomb Monarch.  “Big” Brad Balkema, David “The Defender” Gilliam, Adam “Skip” Willis and Branden “Easy” McKenney were resilient and worked hard through the ups and downs of a college basketball season.  More importantly, their growth off the court is immeasurable and holds more significance than dribbling a ball.   As the pregame ceremonies concluded, the Macomb Monarchs were ready to battle with the Kirtland Firebirds.  Macomb assumed control of the game and never looked back.  The Monarchs won the game by a score of 80-67, snapping their five game losing streak.  Macomb only turned the ball over 12 times.  The Monarch defense annihilated the Firebirds on the boards 45-27, forced 18 turnovers and held Kirtland to 36% shooting from the floor.  Macomb’s All-Time leader in points scored-Branden “Easy” McKenney recorded 34 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals.  Alan Hardy complied 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.  Terrell “Rell-Deal” Williams added 10 points and 7 assists.  Macomb improves to 5-11 in the conference and 13-15 overall as they head to the Regional Tournament at Mott College in Flint, MI. 

Streak Continues-2/17

The Macomb Monarchs battled with the Delta Pioneers and the lead changed several times.  But when it mattered, Macomb came up short as a last second, half court heave by Branden McKenney grazed the front of the rim causing Macomb to lose 75-72 for the fifth straight time.  The Monarchs shot 45% from the floor and held the rebounding edge 44-31.  However, Delta applied its stout half court trap that forced Macomb to turn the ball over 22 times and through one stretch Delta scored eight straight points.  Branden “Easy” McKenney continues to improve upon his All-American campaign as he too easily complied 38 points, 14 rebounds and 3 steals.  Alan Hardy returned to form amassing 22 points, 10 rebounds and 1 steal.  Terrell “Rell-Deal” Williams scored 7 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and dropped 8 dimes.  Macomb falls to 4-11 in the conference and 12-15 overall.   

Four game slide-2/13

The Macomb Monarchs were prepared to play against the Mott Bears but executing their game plan did not materialize.  Mott ran away with the game beating Macomb by a score of 77-44.  Macomb only grabbed 26 rebounds as Mott snatched 37.  The Monarchs shot 29% from the floor and only made 13 baskets the entire game.  The surprising stat of the game was, Macomb only recorded 5 assist for the entire game.  Macomb was led by sophomore Branden McKenney.  McKenney turned in his usual performance of 23 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals.  The Monarchs fell to 4-10 in the conference and 12-14 overall.   

Not Enough-2/6

On Saturday, the Macomb Monarchs played the number two ranked team in the nation, the Henry Ford Hawks.  Henry Ford depicted the moxie of a number two ranked team and Macomb loss by the score of 94-52.  Macomb only scored 8 shots in the second half, scoring 24 points as Henry Ford scored 55 points.  Macomb was beat on the boards 37-28; Macomb’s assist discrepancy was 26-12 and turned the ball over 26 times.  Macomb shot a shade under 34% from the floor for the entire game.  Macomb was led by Branden McKenney with 17 points and 7 rebounds and Alan Hardy complied 13 points, 1 block and 1 steal.  Macomb’s record falls to 4-9 in the conference and 12-13 overall.   

Transition Defense-2/3

The Macomb Monarchs looked to avenge an earlier season loss to the St. Clair Skippers but failed in their attempt by a score of 74-57.  The Achilles heel of the Monarchs was their inability play defense in transition.  The Skippers took several uncontested shots and sank them with the ease of lay-ups.  Macomb was battered on the boards as well being out rebounded 51-40.  The Monarchs also shot 33% from the floor and 50% for the free throw line.  Macomb was led by the “Lebanon Don” Hamza Ali-Ahmed.  Ali-Ahmed made his presence felt every inch of the 84 foot court, compiling his best performance of the season with 13 points, 9 (7 offensive) rebounds, 5 leaping blocks and 3 steals.  Chris Burns played the accomplice guiding the offense with 12 points.   Macomb's record falls to 4-8 in the conference and 12-12 overall.   

Box Out-1/30

The Macomb Monarchs geared up for another tough game against the Oakland Raiders.  Macomb fell short of a victory with an ending score of 58-46.  Even though Macomb out rebounded Oakland 36-28, the Monarchs inability to rebound long three point shots were one fatal blow to Macomb’s quest in victory!  Oakland shot 29 three point shots and only made 5 for a 17% shooting percentage.  The other mishap for Macomb was their perpetual mishandling of the basketball.  Macomb turned the ball over 27 times.  Branden McKenney continues to place his bid for Player of Year honors, amassing 26 points and 10 rebounds.  Macomb record falls to 4-7 in the conference and 12-11 overall.  

Back to Winning-1/23

The Macomb Monarchs played host to the Schoolcraft Ocelots and snapped a five game losing streak by a score of 80-73.  Macomb forced 33 turnovers and shot 47% from the field.  This game was owned by Branden “Easy” McKenney.  McKenney scored so effortlessly that the crowd began to scream out his trademark EASY!  McKenney summoned the skills that he learned as adolescent in the “Pit” (a court in Detroit known for fierce competition) and assaulted Schoolcraft to the tune of 39 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assist and 3 steals.  McKenney’s 39 points was two points shy of the Macomb all-time single game scoring record.  The “Hardcase” Alan Hardy continues to illuminate the scoreboard.  Hardy had a thunderous tip dunk with his left hand over four of the Schoolcraft players that ignited the crowd.  Hardy finished with 25 points, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.  Macomb improves to 4-6 in the conference and 12-10 overall.   

Overtime-1/20

The Macomb Monarchs played an exciting game against the Kirtland Firebirds.  The lead changed over twenty times in the game but in the end Macomb ran out of gas in overtime and loss by a score of 89-82.  This was a fast paced out and down game.  Neither team played impressive defensively.  Macomb shot 49% for the game and posted a 38-31 rebounding edge over Kirtland.  Branden McKenney had a chance to win the game in regulation but his off balance shot hit the front of the rim and spun off into a Kirtland defender.  Branden “Easy” McKenney in his first game back from injury was unstoppable and imposed his will against the Kirtland defenders.  McKenney compiled 34 points 13 rebounds and 1 steal.  His offensive accomplice was freshman, “Aloe” Alan Hardy, amassed 23 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 assist and 1 steal.  An impressive performance was turned in by "Money Making" Mitch Michalski.  Michalski buried 4 three pointers and finished with 14 points.  Macomb falls to 3-6 in the conference and 11-10 overall. 

Second Option-1/16

The Macomb Monarchs were in a battle with the Delta Pioneers on the 16th of January.  The lack of a second scoring option is the reason for Macomb’s loss to Delta by a score of 61-54.  Another persistent problem the Monarchs display is a lack ball security.  Macomb for the second consecutive game recorded 30 plus turnovers.  Alan Hardy continues to be a one man team scoring the majority of Macomb’s points.  Hardy compiled a tough 18 points and 9 rebounds.  The surprise and new addition to the Monarch line-up was the play of freshman guard Chris Burns.  Burns in 23 minutes scored 8 points and directed the offense as if he has been with the team for years.  Macomb falls to 3-5 in the conference and 11-9 overall.

Speechless-1/13

Macomb played the Mott Bears last night but Mott was the only team to show up as Macomb loss 82-34.  Macomb almost had as many turnovers (32) as points (34) in a lopsided loss.  The Monarchs shot 21% from the floor and at one point during their second half scoring slump of eleven points went without a basket for nearly twelve minutes.  The hemorrhaging was stopped by Mitch Michalski’s basket at the 2:32 mark remaining.  By then the lead ballooned to a hint under fifty.  Alan Hardy managed to hold the team together recording 16 points and 10 rebounds.  Brad Balkema had 6 points and 6 rebounds but the supporting case couldn’t muster enough points to be competitive.  Macomb drops to 3-4 in the conference and 11-8 overall.

Macomb vs. Marygrove-1/9

The game against Marygrove slated for January 9, 2010 at 3pm has been cancelled. 

1st Half-1/6

The game between the Macomb Monarchs and the Henry Ford Hawks was decided in the first half. Macomb shot 36% in the first half and never recovered from an 18 point halftime deficit.  Although the defensive intensity was elevated in the second half and Macomb returned to form the end result was a loss by a score of 72-47.  Macomb was outrebounded 33-27 and turned the ball over 27 times.  Alan Hardy played well compiling 20 points and 4 rebounds.  Terrell Williams stepped up and added 11 points.  Macomb falls to 3-3 in the conference and 11-7 overall.     

Momentum Swing-1/2

The Macomb Monarchs were charged and ready to battle with the St. Clair Skippers.  The Skippers opened up early with a 15-4 lead but Macomb closed the gap to two points at intermission on 43% shooting.  In the second half, St. Clair went on another run but yet again the Monarchs solidified their defense by running a zone and sparked a comeback.  Macomb began to get open looks and capitalized on every opportunity.  With 5:19 remaining in the game, Alan Hardy scored on a sweet give and go from Brad Balkema.  Hardy’s dunk energized the team putting Macomb ahead by two but the basket was quickly nullified due to the technical foul Hardy picked up for hanging on the rim!  From that point the momentum shifted and St. Clair went on a 15-3 run.  The end result was a Macomb loss by a score of 72-62.  Branden “Easy” McKenney opened up the arsenal by shooting several jump shots, compiling 24 points and 13 rebounds.  Brad Balkema continues be a work horse.  Balkema finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Alan Hardy added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks.  Macomb’s record is 3-2 in the conference and 11-6 overall.     

Gifts Galore-12/23

The Macomb Monarchs finished Alpena in the third installment of “Who’s the Better Basketball Team”.  Macomb completely dominated the Lumberjacks and beat Alpena 79-56.  Macomb registered a season low 7 turnovers as a team and forced 15, turning them into easy buckets.  The magic number that stands out is the Monarchs had as many rebounds (56) as Alpena had points (56).  Banging the boards was “Big” Brad Balkema falling 3 assist shy of a triple-double.   Balkema amassed 10 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assist.  Branden McKenney, Alan Hardy and Adam Willis all added to the thrashing of Alpena.  McKenny returned to form scoring 24 and grabbing 8 rebounds.  Hardy added 16 points and 9 boards while the sharpshooting of Adam Willis registered 14 points on 50% shooting.   Macomb improves to 11-5 overall and 3-1 in the conference. 

Follow-up-12/22

The Macomb Monarchs were out to prove that beating Alpena in the opening round of the Holiday Inn Thunder Bay Classic wasn’t a fluke.  The game was a back and forth dog fight for both teams.  One team would score and soon after the other would score.  In the end Macomb’s ability to knock down free throws awarded them the victory.  Macomb won by a score of 57-52.  Freshman Alan Hardy carried the team on his back compiling 18 points, 15 rebounds and 1 block.  Brad Balkema added 6 points and 14 rebounds.  Macomb will try for a three game sweep on the 23rd of December against Alpena.

Foul Play-12/19

Traveling three hours to Benton Harbor on Saturday, the Macomb Monarchs were out of the game against Lake Michigan before the game began.  Usually games are not determined by referees but in every case there is an exception to the rule!  Macomb found themselves down by 15 points at halftime and that just happened to be the number of free throws that Lake Michigan made as the half came to close.  It was overheard in the crowd by one spectator that “those refs knew how to blow their whistles.”  The second half wasn’t better on several occasions Macomb players were either called for phantom calls or they were completely hacked to a point that it was obvious!  Macomb ended the game with a lopsided loss by a score of 102-77.  Macomb was lead by the ever consistent Branden McKenney, despite only playing 22 minutes.  He registered 23 points and 10 rebounds.  Alan Hardy added 14 points and 7 rebounds.  While John Talos and Brad Balkema turned in solid efforts.  Talos had 13 points and 6 rebounds and Balkema added 7 points and 10 rebounds.  Macomb falls to 9-5 overall and plays a Holiday Hoops back-to-back with Alpena starting December 22nd at 7:30pm.   

Free Throws-12/16

The Macomb Monarchs hosted the Oakland Raiders and loss to Oakland 71-61.  Oakland raced out to an early lead but Macomb fought back and battled until the end.  Free throws aren’t really free because Macomb’s inability to hit free throws sealed their fate.  Going 53% from the stripe as a team and shooting 38% from the floor were the main reasons for Macomb’s loss.  In the loss Macomb was lead by Branden McKenney’s 21 points and 13 rebounds.  Alan Hardy added 12 points and 8 rebounds and Brad Balkema chimed in with 6 points and 10 rebounds.  Macomb falls to 1-1 in the conference and 9-4 overall and looks to rebound with a win this weekend against Lake Michigan on the 19th of December.  

Holiday Inn Thunder Bay Classic-12-11&12

The Macomb Monarchs traveled to Alpena to play in the Holiday Inn Thunder Bay Classic.  Macomb was matched up against Alpena CC in the first game and started out very sluggish.  The suspense came in the last seconds of the second half.  Macomb and Alpena for the last five minutes of the game continued to trade baskets.  Alpena seemed to have the game won as they drove to the basket and scored on a lay-up with five point two seconds remaining.  Macomb advanced the ball and called their final timeout with two seconds remaining.  Checking in the game was freshman marksmen Anthony Griffith, Griffith only played limited minutes but Coach Henry Washington knew he could count on Griffith.  Macomb inbounded the ball; Griffith caught it on the wing and with pinpoint accuracy sank a three pointer as time expired and gave Macomb the win by a score of 73-72.  Macomb moved on to play Muskegon for the tournament trophy.  The scouting report on Muskegon was that they were an athletic team that couldn’t shoot.  So Macomb simply played zone defense and forced 20 turnovers, bad shots and caused Muskegon to shoot 35% from the floor. Macomb won the Holiday Inn Thunder Bay Classic and hoisted the trophy by beating Muskegon 78-59.  A herculean effort by tournament MVP Branden “Easy” McKenney truly showed his ability to score easily!  McKenney physically imposed his dominance against Muskegon and for the weekend, McKenney averaged a phenomenal 27.5 points and 12 rebounds.  Playing Pippen to his Jordan was Alan Hardy.  Hardy was also named to the All-Tournament team by averaging 14.5 points and 11.5 rebounds.  Macomb improved their record to 9-3 overall and will face Oakland CC on the 16th of December at 7:30pm.       

String Music-12/9

Five minutes before tip-off a fuse in the sound system blew and the Cadieux Center was without sound for the entire game.  However, the encouraging sounds blaring through the speakers were not needed as the sound of hustle, dribbling and string music infused the crowd to cheer chaotically!  Macomb matched wits with the Rochester Warriors and used their basketball IQ to win the game by a score of 80-63.  Macomb kept Windex handy as they cleaned the glass to an advantage of 65-49.  Branden “Easy” McKenney put on an offensive clinic against Rochester.  McKenney created one of his finest opuses of the season, scoring in variety of ways.  He weaved in and out of traffic on route to a 78% shooting night compiling 33 points, 13 rebounds and 2 steals.  Playing the first chair was Alan Hardy continuing his impressive freshman campaign with 22 points and 11 rebounds.  Macomb improves their record to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in the conference as they head to Alpena for a weekend tournament.

8.0 Seconds-12/2

Picking up the action of the Macomb Monarchs game against the Schoolcraft Ocelots with thirty-two seconds left in the game; being down as many as ten points with four minutes to left Macomb fought back.  Macomb was down by two with thirty-two seconds remaining, instinctively Coach Henry Washington called his last and final timeout.  Gathering the team in the huddle, Coach Washington looked into the eyes of tired athletes and began to do as he has done for the last 30 years, diagram a play!  Choosing his players as the options to take the last shot, an unlikely hero was the culprit to heave the game winning shot.  Allowing the clock to tick down to eight seconds, Macomb’s first three options were guarded heavily.  Amidst a hostile home crowd freshman guard “Money Making” Mitch Michalski (pronounced My-house-key) dribbled right and crossed over left with a hand in his face pulled the trigger on a three pointer that sank the hopes of Schoolcraft, giving the Monarchs a one point lead.  After deliberation at the table the referees concluded that eight seconds remained on the clock instead of the six point seven seconds as the clock showed!  On Schoolcraft’s ensuing possession, they advanced the ball and there was Michalski again causing the pressure on the Ocelot’s point guard forcing him to lose the ball.  Alan Hardy recovered the ball and sealed the game on a break away dunk as time expired and Macomb won by a score of 69-66.  Macomb improves their overall record to 6-3 and 1-0 in the conference.  Macomb looks to continue their winning streak at home on the 9th against Rochester College at 7pm. 

Successful Showing-11/30

Coming off an eight day hiatus the Macomb Monarchs locked horns with the Albion Briton and the first two possessions by Macomb were fast break dunks by Branden McKenney and Alan Hardy.  These two offensive possessions foreshadowed the game to come and Macomb won the contest by a score of 73-54.  However, this game was closer than the score reflected; several times in the second half Macomb’s lead was reduced to single digits.  But the Monarch resilience pushed the lead back to double digits.  The Monarchs shot 44% from the floor for the entire game compared to Albion’s 34%.  Macomb forced 28 turnovers but they also suffered from mental errors turning the ball over 29 times.  Macomb’s 47-22 rebounding edge depicts the Monarch’s physical dominance over Albion.  The surprising stat of the game was Macomb’s free throw percentage; as a team they shot an astounding 91% from the stripe!  Filling the cup with water was none other than Branden “Easy” McKenney compiling his usual 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals.  His partner in crime was Alan Hardy registering 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 furious blocks!  The workman award goes to Brad Balkema for his 13 rebounds and 4 assist.  Macomb improves their record to 5-3 and will face their conference foe Schoolcraft December 2nd in Livonia, MI at 7:30pm.      

Glen Oaks Tournament-11/20-21

This past weekend the Macomb Monarchs traveled to Centreville, MI to play in the Glen Oaks Tournament.  Macomb locked horns with Indiana Tech on the first day of the tournament trouncing them by a score of 96-76.  Macomb shot 53% from the field for the game and was only in danger of losing the lead early in the game.  The Monarchs were lead by the trio of Branden McKenney, Daniel Hughes and Alan Hardy.  McKenney compiled 25 points and 8 rebounds.  Hughes registered 22 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Hardy added 20 points shooting 72% from the field.  On the second day of the tournament, the game proved to be a battle on the perimeter.  The three guard rotation of Glen Oaks continued to blow pass the perimeter defense of the Monarchs and when the smoke cleared Macomb was defeated by a score of 84-66.  The Monarchs were lead by Branden “Easy” McKenney filling the cup with nothing but water, scoring 31 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.  Freshman Alan Hardy continues to improve, accumulating 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks.  Macomb is 4-3 on the season and will play Albion College at 7pm on November 30th at the Sports & Expo Center.   

Man Power-11/16

The Macomb Monarchs returned to action last night as they faced the Olivet Comets at the Sports & Expo Center.  Macomb was victorious in a lopsided battle winning by a score of 73-56.  The Monarchs raced out to a 14 lead in the first half shooting 58 percent from the field, ending the half by a score of 49-35.  Macomb’s stifling defense was the catalyst for the game, forcing a total of 23 turnovers.  Macomb’s leading scorer was Branden McKenney scoring from every spot on the court compiling 30 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals.  McKenney’s partners in crime were Anthony Griffith and Alan Hardy.  Griffith was wet from beyond the arc going 3-for-3 registering a total of 15 points and 8 rebounds.  Hardy muscled his way to 11 points and 7 rebounds.  Macomb improves their record to 3-2 and plays this weekend in the Glen Oaks Tournament.  

Season Opener-11/7

The Macomb Monarchs were prepared to play against the Kalamazoo Valley Cougars on Saturday, November 7th but as the game played out the Cougars were the better team.  After Macomb’s leader, Branden McKenney was sidelined for the game with an inadvertent elbow to head. KVCC took advantage and went for the jugular and beat Macomb by a score of 79-37.  Macomb seemed dejected as they shot themselves in to a 44-17 halftime deficit.  In the second half the Monarchs showed life but with each run Macomb made Kalamazoo answered with their own!  Macomb finished the game shooting 24% from the field and no one in the Monarch line up scored in double digits.  Macomb is 0-1 and looks to get their first win of the season Wednesday, November 11th in Ann Arbor against Concordia University. 

Season preview

Macomb is coming off a postseason first round exit and they have been eager to erase the bad taste out of their mouths.  It’s a new season and Coach Henry Washington is entering his 17th season as head coach of the Monarchs and his milestone of 30 years coaching overall.  He is returning five sophomores and Washington has recruited thirteen freshman that are highly capable of contributing.  Sophomore Branden McKenney leads the team as a returning MCCAA All-Conference player.  McKenney led the team in scoring with 20 points per game and 8 rebounds per game last season.  The surprise player of the group should be the versatile sophomore forward Daniel Hughes.  Hughes has been in the gym all summer working on expanding his game to become an inside-outside threat.  Rounding out the veteran group is the talented Adam Willis, the powerful Brad Balkema and the reliable David Gilliam.  The incoming freshman group is ready to contribute to increase Macomb’s winning percentage.  Freshman guard Terrell Williams is an explosive guard who can really quarterback an offensive. Forward, Alan Hardy, will be called upon to contribute in a big way!  Along with Williams & Hardy, Anthony Griffith, is a sharp shooting guard that can score in bunches.  A surprise guard in the mix is Zacary Arnold.  Arnold can score and distribute the ball making him a dual-threat.  
Macomb begins its road to glory at 3pm on November 7, 2009 at home against Kalamazoo Valley.