Badger South Standings
1. Monroe (5-3 overall, 5-0 conference)
2. Milton (4-4, 3-1)
3. Edgewood (7-4, 4-2)
4. Stoughton (5-5, 3-2)
5. Oregon (2-7, 1-4)
5. Monona Grove (2-9, 1-4)
7. Fort Atkinson (1-8, 0-4)
STOUGHTON - Most basketball players dream of making a game-winning shot. Few get to do it.
"I have never hit a game-winner in my life - and it was great," Monroe boys basketball sophomore guard Michael Barrett said Monday after draining a jump shot from the top of the lane at the buzzer to beat Stoughton, 45-43.
After leading by as many as six points (42-36) with two minutes and 16 seconds left to play, the Cheesemakers were outscored 7-1 and faced overtime.
"The way they can shoot the ball, I'm not surprised it came down to (the buzzer)," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said. "It's tough to play here.
"But I was looking forward to overtime. I don't know how much some of our guys were looking forward to that, but I kind of wanted to see another four minutes."
Stoughton's Jake Thiermann hit a 3-pointer with 47.2 seconds left to tie the score at 43-43. Thiermann led the Vikings (5-5, 3-2 Badger South) with 11 points, including three clutch 3-pointers.
Monroe (5-3, 5-0), on the other hand, has a player that could make 3-pointers for a living. Mitch Tordoff finished with a game-high 17 points, including four 3s. The senior guard has dazzled opposing teams all year with his touch from both inside and outside the arc, averaging 19.5 points per game.
"I had the hot hand and they were looking to me," Tordoff said of his 14-point first half. "But in the second half, I couldn't really find a way to score and we had to look to other guys."
The Cheesemakers followed the lead of Mitch and his brother, Bryan, and got out to an 11-9 lead in the first quarter. Murphy had his team set up to get one final shot off in the period, but a turnover appeared to negate those hopes. Instead, Barrett stole the ball right out of the hands of a Vikings player and connected with Jake Grinnell in transition for an easy bucket with four seconds left.
The Cheesemakers kept Stoughton scoreless for eight minutes and 55 seconds in the half, spanning from the end of the first quarter until 1:45 left in the second.
"Our guys are pretty good at picking up the scouting report and turning that over into the game," Murphy said.
Monroe went into halftime with a 21-14 lead and strides of momentum.
The Vikings used an on-ball pressure defense all night, forcing the Cheesemakers into many turnovers. However, Stoughton had a tough time shooting against Monroe.
"(Stoughton is) really good at running and jumping. And they are so athletic that you can be running a play and all of sudden they are on you and make you have to make a tough, quick decision," Murphy said.
Monroe got plenty of boards from Grinnell, Kevin Frint, Bryan Tordoff and Zach Rast. Rast pulled in three offensive rebounds in big possessions in both halves.
By the end of the third quarter, the Cheesemakers still held a 34-29 lead. Then the trouble began.
The Vikings brought the score to 34-33 and Murphy was forced to call a timeout. Bryan Tordoff came out of the short rest and drove the lane, giving Monroe an extra breath of confidence.
Stoughton's Jordan Adams responded by hitting a 3-pointer to tie the score with 4:45 left. Mitch Tordoff then dished the rock to Mitch McArdle, who countered the Vikings' basket.
From there, Monroe made just 2 of 5 free throws over the game's last four minutes.
"We missed a couple of free throws, and that hurt. A two-possession game is a lot better than one late in the game," Murphy said.
Mitch Tordoff had the ball with one shot left and the game tied at 43-43. Mitch carried the Cheese with ice in his veins against Madison Edgewood seven days earlier, when Monroe won in overtime.
Tordoff missed his shot from 15 feet with the seconds flying off the clock. That's when Barrett snagged the ball out of the air and put it back up for the game-winner as time expired.
"This kind of a win really helps some of the younger guys. They've never really been in this type of an atmosphere and this gives them a little confidence headed into the second half of the season," Tordoff said.
Monroe still is undefeated in conference play and controls its own destiny.
"I said this to the Stoughton kids afterwards, I said, 'Now we get to go and do this all over again in less than two weeks," Murphy said of the Jan. 30 battle in Monroe.
Stoughton lost to Edgewood on Saturday, and needed a win to stay in serious contention with Monroe for the Badger South crown.
And now the Cheesemakers have another player to turn to in clutch situations - Barrett. However, now that he is a go-to guy at the buzzer, Monroe fans may need to figure out a nickname for their very own "Big Shot Bob" - perhaps Masterful Michael will do.
"I have never hit a game-winner in my life - and it was great," Monroe boys basketball sophomore guard Michael Barrett said Monday after draining a jump shot from the top of the lane at the buzzer to beat Stoughton, 45-43.
After leading by as many as six points (42-36) with two minutes and 16 seconds left to play, the Cheesemakers were outscored 7-1 and faced overtime.
"The way they can shoot the ball, I'm not surprised it came down to (the buzzer)," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said. "It's tough to play here.
"But I was looking forward to overtime. I don't know how much some of our guys were looking forward to that, but I kind of wanted to see another four minutes."
Stoughton's Jake Thiermann hit a 3-pointer with 47.2 seconds left to tie the score at 43-43. Thiermann led the Vikings (5-5, 3-2 Badger South) with 11 points, including three clutch 3-pointers.
Monroe (5-3, 5-0), on the other hand, has a player that could make 3-pointers for a living. Mitch Tordoff finished with a game-high 17 points, including four 3s. The senior guard has dazzled opposing teams all year with his touch from both inside and outside the arc, averaging 19.5 points per game.
"I had the hot hand and they were looking to me," Tordoff said of his 14-point first half. "But in the second half, I couldn't really find a way to score and we had to look to other guys."
The Cheesemakers followed the lead of Mitch and his brother, Bryan, and got out to an 11-9 lead in the first quarter. Murphy had his team set up to get one final shot off in the period, but a turnover appeared to negate those hopes. Instead, Barrett stole the ball right out of the hands of a Vikings player and connected with Jake Grinnell in transition for an easy bucket with four seconds left.
The Cheesemakers kept Stoughton scoreless for eight minutes and 55 seconds in the half, spanning from the end of the first quarter until 1:45 left in the second.
"Our guys are pretty good at picking up the scouting report and turning that over into the game," Murphy said.
Monroe went into halftime with a 21-14 lead and strides of momentum.
The Vikings used an on-ball pressure defense all night, forcing the Cheesemakers into many turnovers. However, Stoughton had a tough time shooting against Monroe.
"(Stoughton is) really good at running and jumping. And they are so athletic that you can be running a play and all of sudden they are on you and make you have to make a tough, quick decision," Murphy said.
Monroe got plenty of boards from Grinnell, Kevin Frint, Bryan Tordoff and Zach Rast. Rast pulled in three offensive rebounds in big possessions in both halves.
By the end of the third quarter, the Cheesemakers still held a 34-29 lead. Then the trouble began.
The Vikings brought the score to 34-33 and Murphy was forced to call a timeout. Bryan Tordoff came out of the short rest and drove the lane, giving Monroe an extra breath of confidence.
Stoughton's Jordan Adams responded by hitting a 3-pointer to tie the score with 4:45 left. Mitch Tordoff then dished the rock to Mitch McArdle, who countered the Vikings' basket.
From there, Monroe made just 2 of 5 free throws over the game's last four minutes.
"We missed a couple of free throws, and that hurt. A two-possession game is a lot better than one late in the game," Murphy said.
Mitch Tordoff had the ball with one shot left and the game tied at 43-43. Mitch carried the Cheese with ice in his veins against Madison Edgewood seven days earlier, when Monroe won in overtime.
Tordoff missed his shot from 15 feet with the seconds flying off the clock. That's when Barrett snagged the ball out of the air and put it back up for the game-winner as time expired.
"This kind of a win really helps some of the younger guys. They've never really been in this type of an atmosphere and this gives them a little confidence headed into the second half of the season," Tordoff said.
Monroe still is undefeated in conference play and controls its own destiny.
"I said this to the Stoughton kids afterwards, I said, 'Now we get to go and do this all over again in less than two weeks," Murphy said of the Jan. 30 battle in Monroe.
Stoughton lost to Edgewood on Saturday, and needed a win to stay in serious contention with Monroe for the Badger South crown.
And now the Cheesemakers have another player to turn to in clutch situations - Barrett. However, now that he is a go-to guy at the buzzer, Monroe fans may need to figure out a nickname for their very own "Big Shot Bob" - perhaps Masterful Michael will do.
