Niles, Nadeau Spark Monroe to Victory Over Birmingham

One week after being derailed, the Monroe High boys’ basketball team is back on track and pulling away.

Monroe’s unrelenting defense and balanced front-court scoring that included a triple-double by junior Kenyatta Niles sparked the Vikings to a 62-51 Mid-Valley League victory over host Birmingham on Friday.

A week ago, the Vikings suffered a 35-point loss to powerful North Hollywood in an intraconference game. But losing to City Section 4-A Division power North Hollywood doesn’t mean much to 3-A Mid-Valley League teams. For those teams, a loss to North Hollywood is expected. It is victories against other teams that will separate the league champion from the also-rans.

“North Hollywood beat us bad, (but) that’s over with,” said Monroe senior forward Jeff Nadeau, who scored a game-high 21 points. “We’re going to beat everybody there is to beat because there is nobody in this league right now that can hold us.”

Birmingham (11-6, 4-2 in league play), which trails first-place Monroe (15-3, 6-1) by 1 1/2 games, had a tough time defensing Niles and Nadeau.

Niles, a forward who filled in at point guard for foul-plagued Marco Rich for most of the first half, finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.

Nadeau, who this week committed to play football for Arizona, scored 14 in the first half. His powerful one-handed dunk gave Monroe a 32-23 halftime lead. Front-court teammate Tweedy Stiner added 12 points, including two thunderous alley-oop dunks.

Birmingham trailed through most of the game, but tied it, 18-18, early in the second quarter on Raffi Kassabian’s short jump shot. The Braves’ patient, passing offense was paying off. But, as soon as the Braves tied it, their game slowly unraveled. Birmingham missed five opportunities to take the lead on missed free throws in a 35-second span after Kassabian’s jumper.

Monroe reclaimed the lead, 20-18, on two Dante Cain free throws that started an 8-0 run. The Vikings forced 10 turnovers in the second quarter and prodded Birmingham into a running game.

Birmingham made a run at Monroe in the fourth quarter.

Scott James’ three-point basket and a short jumper by Greg Whiteside (16 points) cut Monroe’s lead to 50-45 with 3 minutes 31 seconds remaining. But that was as close as the Braves got.

Monroe hit six of eight free throws down the stretch and outscored the Braves, 12-6, at the end.