MONMOUTH — No more than a minute had elapsed after the final horn Thursday when the Monmouth Academy boys’ basketball team gathered as one underneath the basket at the north end of Stuart Foster Gymnasium.

Parents and friends waved phones and cameras in the air, capturing the moment for posterity. The result someday will look not unlike the gray, dog-eared photograph adorning the wall at the end of the motion picture “Hoosiers.”

Overkill for a 49-27 victory over St. Dominic Regional High School, one that merely clinched Monmouth a winning season and a Western Class C preliminary playoff berth? Think again.

“It’s my first year here, so I don’t know all the history,” said Monmouth coach Lucas Turner. “But this is the first time in a while.”

Try before you were born, coach. Nearly four full decades have passed since Monmouth last appeared in the Class C tournament. 

There were flashes of brilliance during a brief stint in Class D, including a one-sided loss to the record-shattering Valley express in the 2001 regional final. But an authoritative trouncing of the Saints wrapped up what has been far-and-away the Mustangs’ best winter in the Mountain Valley Conference.

“This is big for Monmouth. It’s been a long time since we had the stands packed every single night, day-in and day-out,” said senior Corey Dyke, who produced nine points and 10 rebounds and was part of a smothering defensive effort.

St. Dom’s (11-7) went 1-for-13 from the field in the first quarter, missed all eight of its attempts in the third period and finished 9-for-42 (21 percent). The Saints were 2-of-11 from 3-point range.

Sophomore standout Peter Keaney was held without a field goal and limited to five points before he fouled out with 4:28 remaining.

“We were staggered early, missing a lot of shots,” said St. Dom’s coach Ryan Deschenes. “And when Keaney got in foul trouble, we looked more staggered. Everybody was looking around because he was out and we didn’t know what to do.

“We’re still alive. We’ve just to get some confidence.”

Monmouth (10-8) needed a win to secure its berth outright, although other out-of-town results would have punched their ticket, anyhow.

Heal Points won’t be official until the weekend, but the Mustangs are likely No. 8 and should host Georges Valley in a prelim Wednesday after finishing with a three-game winning streak.

The Saints’ second straight loss cost them a first-round bye. St. Dom’s is unofficially No. 7 and is expected to entertain Traip Academy.

Monmouth’s place in the postseason was never really in doubt after the Mustangs rolled up a double-digit lead early in the second quarter.

Ryan Baillargeon (nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals) drained back-to-back 3-pointers in a 42-second span to make it 17-9. Dyke’s put-back on the Mustangs’ next possession hastened a St. Dom’s timeout.

It didn’t slow the hosts. Elliott Kahl knocked down a short turnaround jumper to restore the 10-point lead. And Tim Whitmore, to that point most notable for lockdown defense on Keaney, went on a six-point spree.

The second of Whitmore’s carbon-copy jumpers from the right baseline increased the margin to 27-13. It was 28-17 at the half.

“We were ready to play,” Whitmore said. “It’s been a struggle for Monmouth, but we’re trying to turn it around.”

Whitmore, Roger Bachelder and Robbie Neal each drew an offensive foul for Monmouth in the first half. Whitmore sacrificed his body again again twice in the third period.

“It’s 20 to 30 minutes of every practice where we do straight defensive drills, and they’re still buying into it,” Turner said.

Neal led Monmouth with 11 points. Whitmore joined Baillargeon and Dyke with nine.

Joe Bryant scored his entire team-high seven points in the first three minutes of the second period for the Saints.

“They knew they could get in if they beat us without having to do any scoreboard watching,” Deschenes said of Monmouth. “They played more desperate than we did, and definitely with more confidence.”

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