VERONA - Gutty would be a grossly understated adjective to describe the performance Tony Cates and company needed to survive Edgerton in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 regional final.
Despite battling a gall bladder ailment, Cates showed no visceral deficiency just seconds into the second half when he threw down an emphatic, one-handed dunk in traffic, triggering a 7-0 run that keyed Monroe's 54-46 victory.
"He did it off one foot too, which you really don't teach," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "He read it, the defense wasn't ready for him and he just exploded."
Starting Crimson Tide post Bryan Gregory more than got Cates' attention during a clumsy first half that found Monroe down 19-17 at the half.
"In the first half, he was right up on me the entire time, so I knew I could get around him," Cates said. "When he came at me, I just saw everybody clear out."
The 6-7 senior splashed two free throws seconds later before a 3-point hit by junior Tordoff gave Monroe (21-2) a 24-19 lead.
"We needed to get the ball inside to go outside and we really didn't do that in the first half," Tordoff said. "We weren't ready for the slow pace. Now we know we can play that way."
Two minutes later, Tordoff drilled another long bomb off a pair of offensive rebounds by Cates and senior Chase Sellnow. Then Cates, after threading an entry pass to Sellnow with some English, followed up his classmates missed bunny with a tip-in that seized a 30-23 lead and forced an Edgerton time out.
Cates tied with Tordoff with a game-high 15 points. The heady junior point man picked up two quick, cheap fouls early, leading to a very un-Monroe first 16 minutes.
"We played terrible in the first half," Cates said.
Tide coach Mark Wanless elected to close the first half by holding the ball for the final 2 minutes, 40 seconds, despite holding the momentum advantage over the defending Division 2 champs.
"Each team has their own theories and they wanted the last shot or at least the lead going into half," Tordoff said.
Murphy praised Tordoff for being able to be on the floor in the waning seconds of the first half.
"They were looking to hold the momentum and I was just happy our guys stayed in an athletic stance," Murphy said. "In games like these, you need guys who have been around like Mitch Tordoff who can overcome being handcuffed with two fouls."
Gregory led Edgerton with 14 points and senior point guard Gabe Mitchell added eight points to go along with several highlight-reel plays. His no-look pass set up Gregory's three-point play that tied things at 13 to start the second. After an athletic reverse tip-in midway through the fourth, he picked Tordoff clean at midcourt and ran out for a lay-in to get within six at 44-38.
"Gabe's a player that always has a little of the risk-reward factor, but there was nothing but reward tonight," Wanless said.
Monroe senior Brett Stangel had a quiet 12 points but hit timely shots and all four of his free throws in the final minute. His ability to play through pain is only emblematic of the Cheesemakers' outlook as a ballclub.
"Tony's on a low-fat diet and he's just not healthy, Brett's got a fractured leg ... but everybody's not healthy right now." Sellnow said. "We need everyone to just keep finding a way to get it done."
Monroe next faces a blast from the not-so distant past. In order to get to Saturday's sectional final, the last step before the state tournament, the Cheesemakers must defeat Wisconsin Dells in Waunakee. The Chiefs joined Monroe at the state tournament last year but fell to Port Washington in the semifinals. The other sectional semifinal pits Madison Edgewood against East Troy.
Despite battling a gall bladder ailment, Cates showed no visceral deficiency just seconds into the second half when he threw down an emphatic, one-handed dunk in traffic, triggering a 7-0 run that keyed Monroe's 54-46 victory.
"He did it off one foot too, which you really don't teach," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "He read it, the defense wasn't ready for him and he just exploded."
Starting Crimson Tide post Bryan Gregory more than got Cates' attention during a clumsy first half that found Monroe down 19-17 at the half.
"In the first half, he was right up on me the entire time, so I knew I could get around him," Cates said. "When he came at me, I just saw everybody clear out."
The 6-7 senior splashed two free throws seconds later before a 3-point hit by junior Tordoff gave Monroe (21-2) a 24-19 lead.
"We needed to get the ball inside to go outside and we really didn't do that in the first half," Tordoff said. "We weren't ready for the slow pace. Now we know we can play that way."
Two minutes later, Tordoff drilled another long bomb off a pair of offensive rebounds by Cates and senior Chase Sellnow. Then Cates, after threading an entry pass to Sellnow with some English, followed up his classmates missed bunny with a tip-in that seized a 30-23 lead and forced an Edgerton time out.
Cates tied with Tordoff with a game-high 15 points. The heady junior point man picked up two quick, cheap fouls early, leading to a very un-Monroe first 16 minutes.
"We played terrible in the first half," Cates said.
Tide coach Mark Wanless elected to close the first half by holding the ball for the final 2 minutes, 40 seconds, despite holding the momentum advantage over the defending Division 2 champs.
"Each team has their own theories and they wanted the last shot or at least the lead going into half," Tordoff said.
Murphy praised Tordoff for being able to be on the floor in the waning seconds of the first half.
"They were looking to hold the momentum and I was just happy our guys stayed in an athletic stance," Murphy said. "In games like these, you need guys who have been around like Mitch Tordoff who can overcome being handcuffed with two fouls."
Gregory led Edgerton with 14 points and senior point guard Gabe Mitchell added eight points to go along with several highlight-reel plays. His no-look pass set up Gregory's three-point play that tied things at 13 to start the second. After an athletic reverse tip-in midway through the fourth, he picked Tordoff clean at midcourt and ran out for a lay-in to get within six at 44-38.
"Gabe's a player that always has a little of the risk-reward factor, but there was nothing but reward tonight," Wanless said.
Monroe senior Brett Stangel had a quiet 12 points but hit timely shots and all four of his free throws in the final minute. His ability to play through pain is only emblematic of the Cheesemakers' outlook as a ballclub.
"Tony's on a low-fat diet and he's just not healthy, Brett's got a fractured leg ... but everybody's not healthy right now." Sellnow said. "We need everyone to just keep finding a way to get it done."
Monroe next faces a blast from the not-so distant past. In order to get to Saturday's sectional final, the last step before the state tournament, the Cheesemakers must defeat Wisconsin Dells in Waunakee. The Chiefs joined Monroe at the state tournament last year but fell to Port Washington in the semifinals. The other sectional semifinal pits Madison Edgewood against East Troy.
