Thanks to the Memories, Monroe Wins Title, 65-51

Allen Caveness wasn’t the Monroe High boys’ basketball coach last season, but he is well aware of the Vikings’ unfortunate past.

He used some bitter memories from that past to drive the Vikings into their promising future.

Fueled by Marrean Robottom’s 16 points and 12 rebounds, visiting Monroe defeated North Hollywood, 65-51, to win the East Valley League championship in a winner-take-all matchup Friday night.

The Vikings, who tied for second in the league last year with the best overall record in the Valley Pac-8 Conference and were left out of the playoffs, assured themselves a City 4-A playoff berth with the victory.

“We didn’t want to leave it in anyone else’s hands,” Caveness said. “I told them we have to do it ourselves.”

A Monroe loss would have left the Vikings in the same predicament as last year, tied for second.

North Hollywood (8-16, 5-5 in league play), which is still reeling from the loss of point guard James Wilson whose father died of a heart attack two weeks ago, put up a good fight in the first half.

After 10 lead changes, Monroe took the lead for good, 20-19, on a three-point play by Corey Saxton with 2 minutes 21 seconds to go in the first half.

The Vikings (14-5, 6-4), who won four consecutive games to claim the title, had a 27-21 lead at halftime and were in front, 41-35, after three quarters.

But North Hollywood, which has won eight league titles in 11 seasons, wouldn’t go away.

Steve Stindt’s two free throws pulled the Huskies to within 49-42 but North Hollywood suffered its biggest blow when 6-foot-7 junior center Shannon Johnson fouled out as he tried to block Robottom’s shot underneath the basket with 4:20 remaining.

“It was a big relief when he picked up his fifth [foul],” Caveness said. “It really opened things up for Marrean and Rolando [Cardenas].”

After Johnson fouled out with 19 points, it became mostly a free-throw shooting contest. Monroe made 14 of 24 from the stripe after Johnson left, accounting for all but two of the Vikings’ points the rest of the way.

Melvin Goodman scored 13 points for North Hollywood and Jeremiah Arnold added 10.