MONMOUTH — It was the exact kind of game that the Monmouth Academy boys basketball team had anticipated.
The Mustangs’ battle with Mt. Abram on Tuesday was, to the surprise of nobody, one that saw both teams employ extremely high tempos and remarkable physicality. With both teams in early season form, the win was one Monmouth head coach Wade Morrill described as ugly — but one that also showed his team’s ability to adapt.
“That’s why they call it a grind,” Morrill said. “In Class C basketball, you don’t have a lot of kids, so you’re always trying to piece through your roster to give yourself a mix that can help you fight through injuries, foul trouble and everything else that can happen in basketball season. We found our way and did that.”
Foul trouble mounted quickly for Monmouth (2-0), which saw Hunter Frost pick up three fouls in the first half and Manny Calder, Gavin Gregor and Owen Harding each pick up two. Gregor would foul out in the third quarter after three quick fouls, and Manny and Sammy Calder would follow in the fourth.
Between those three players fouling out and Frost and Harding spending much of the second half on the bench with four fouls, there was rarely a time when Monmouth wasn’t missing a key component on the floor. Yet, the Mustangs succeeded by putting the pieces who were on the court together throughout the game.
With his teammates missing significant time, Isaac Oliveira stepped up by scoring 15 of his 21 points in the second half to help Monmouth pull away. Frost (10 points, nine rebounds) was one board short of a double-double, and Sammy Calder (nine points, six rebounds) was clutch in the first half as his teammates struggled from the field.
“We just had to ride the wave, not get caught up in everything and keep our composure,” Oliveira said. “When we had those guys foul out, we came back with the depth that we have. We’re a balanced team, so we have a lot of guys who can come in and get it done when we need it.”
The 2-0 start shouldn’t be surprising to those familiar with Monmouth, which returns all but one major contributor from the team that made the first regional final in program history a year ago. The Mustangs have championship aspirations this season, which is why mistake-heavy performance’s like Tuesday’s can leave the team feeling a bit empty.
Monmouth’s Hunter Frost is sandwiched by Mt. Abram’s Payton, Mitchell (3) and Logan Dude as they all go for a rebound during a boys basketball game Tuesday in Monmouth. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
“Coming back with all these players who have experience and only losing one starter from last year, it really helps,” Oliveira said. “We know what we’re doing out there, and we have great chemistry together. We have high expectations this year, definitely.”
Mt. Abram (1-1), though, is no slouch itself. The Roadrunners also return the bulk of last year’s roster, which went 13-8 and made it to the Class C South semifinals. They also entered the matchup fresh off an impressive 48-36 victory over last year’s C South top seed, Winthrop.
Tuesday’s victory, then, isn’t one that Monmouth can take for granted. It also stands to help the Mustangs throughout the season as Mt. Abram, which returns two All-MVC players in Kaden Pillsbury and Payton Mitchell and an elite scorer in Cam Frost-Gray (29 points against Monmouth), is set to win a plethora of games this year.
Monmouth’s Sammy Calder, left, drives to the basket as Mt. Abram’s Kaden Pillsbury plays defense during a boys basketball game Tuesday in Monmouth. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
“That’s one of those wins that’s going to earn us points all year long,” Morrill said. “When you can play them early in the season, maybe get them before they’ve peaked and grind one out, those Heal points are going to help you at the end of the season when you’re talking about a home prelim vs. traveling for a prelim.”
Even if Mt. Abram hasn’t peaked, the same can probably be said for a Monmouth team that has a lot to improve after a game that saw numerous turnovers and bad shot selection early in the contest. The Mustangs can improve on that by showing an ability to deal with adversity, particularly the kind they faced as a result of foul trouble Tuesday.
“Our depth overall was a pleasant surprise tonight,” Morrill said. “These guys are used to having Manny, Gavin and Sammy and those guys on the court with them, and to be able to play without them and grind out a win is a really great thing to see early in the season.”
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