Powell’s Exit Gives Monroe Breathing Room

There is a saying that nothing worth having comes easy.

Top-seeded Monroe High learned that Wednesday when visiting Verdugo Hills made the Vikings earn their 77-66 victory in a City Section 3-A Division first-round basketball playoff game.

Verdugo Hills (7-14), which tied Wilson for second place in the Northeast League, made its first playoff appearance since 1970. But, the Dons played as if they belonged against Monroe (21-3), which held a precarious five-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

The game’s outcome might have been different had Verdugo Hills star Eddie Powell played the fourth quarter. Powell, who was averaging 28.4 points a game, fouled out with 36 seconds left in the third quarter, bringing Monroe Coach Paul Graber to his feet in applause.

“We knew he had three fouls at the half,” Graber said. “We felt we had to exploit that in the third quarter. We decided that whoever Eddie was guarding, we were going to post up that man if they came out in a (man-to-man) defense. Luckily for us, they did.”

The Vikings’ strategy to get Powell out of the way worked. Powell, a 5-foot-11 center who had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the first half, fouled out trying to take a charge under the basket. He finished with a game-high 23 points and 15 rebounds.

“I’m not saying we would have won if Eddie had been in there,” Verdugo Hills Coach Scott Kemple said, “But our chances would have been a whole lot better.”

Monroe senior Jeff Nadeau (21 points, 10 rebounds), who brought the Viking crowd to its feet three times with thunderous dunks, agreed. Nadeau met Powell for the first time when the two teams met in the Los Angeles Invitational in December. Monroe won, 90-74. The two instantly hit it off and have become friends.

“I’ve got no word for that man,” said Nadeau, shaking his head and smiling. “I’ve never met or played against a player like that. He’s great.”

Despite Powell’s exit, the Dons did not let up. Led by senior guard Angelo De Los Reyes, who scored four of his career-high seven three-point baskets in the fourth quarter, the Dons were within six points midway through the quarter. But Monroe converted seven of eight free throws down the stretch to advance to the quarterfinals against Garfield.

Early on, it was a different story. Verdugo Hills led, 19-15, at the end of the first quarter and maintained their lead nearly three minutes into the second quarter.

But once the Vikings reclaimed the lead, 24-23, on Nadeau jumper with 5 minutes 37 seconds left in the second quarter, Monroe played the part of the pace-setter. A 13-0 run gave Monroe a nine-point lead midway through the second quarter, but the Dons closed to 40-36 at halftime on a Reyes three-point basket.

Senior guard Marco Rich led Monroe with 22 points, including five three-pointers. Tweedy Stiner and Kenyatta Niles each had 12.