The Monmouth-Roseville Titan boys basketball season has been filled with peaks and valleys, due to a late start from the extended run from the football team and a roster that’s been decimated by injuries to key players. The Titans began the season at (1-7) without junior Lars Bergren. Bergren missed the first 10 games from a late season football shoulder injury. Monmouth-Roseville would go on a (6-1) with Bergren in the starting lineup to get to (7-8) on the season. Then senior point guard Cee Sarcomo would go down for two weeks with a leg injury and the Titans would lose four games in a row. With both players back on the floor, the Titans have won 2 of their last 3 to get to (9-13) overall.
With plenty of games left in the regular season, the Titans have a great chance to get back to .500 or better heading into the postseason which begins on Monday, February 23rd. Seeding will be decided late next week and the Titans have a better than average opportunity to get into the top-four and avoid a play-in game. Sherrard is (18-4) and Riverdale is currently (17-8). Beyond that, there is a 6-team log-jam that includes Kewanee at (12-14), Farmington at (11-12) and Mercer County at (11-13). Monmouth-Roseville has recent wins over all three of those schools.
Titan head coach Chuck Grant hopes that his team’s 55-48 win over Kewanee can be a springboard into a winning streak that would certainly help the argument for a top-four seed. Coming up, though, the Titans have (18-7) Orion tonight and private school power Peoria Notre Dame tomorrow in a back-to-back home stand. Grant says they have to start putting some wins together sooner, rather than later.
We’ll have tonight and tomorrow night’s games on the PCSN. Tonight’s game against Orion is scheduled to start at 7:00, following the completion of the JV game. Our Sunny 97.7 WMOI broadcast will start at around 6:30. It’s also senior night for the Titan boys and they will be announced at halftime of the JV at around 6:00. Tomorrow’s game against Peoria Notre Dame is slated to start a little earlier at 5:30, therefore our Sunny 97.7 WMOI pregame show will start at around 5:00. Both games can be heard on the radio, online at radiomonmouth.com by clicking on LISTEN LIVE or on our free 97.7 WMOI app for your smartphone or tablet. Bring a pair of ear buds and listen right from the bleachers.
For the full interview with Coach Grant, go to the SPORTS PODCAST section.
