MOUNT CARROLL, Ill. - Usually in basketball, the better team comes out victorious. For 23 minutes, Monroe's boys were the better team in their 52-38 West Carroll Invitational Showdown win over Rock Island (Ill.) Alleman.
"This was a bit of a step forward for us," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said of his team's first non-conference win of the season.
The Cheesemakers (6-3, 5-0 Badger South) came out ready to play. A steady defense and consistent offense allowed Monroe to take a 10-6 lead after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Monroe built its lead, scoring the first six points of the quarter for a 20-8 advantage with 2 minutes, 54 seconds left in the half.
Then Alleman (4-16), a Catholic school that plays plenty of tough competition in Illinois, made a comeback. Alleman scored six straight points and finished the half on a 9-2 run.
"I think their record is kind of deceiving. A lot of the teams they play are high-caliber," Murphy said.
Monroe's 23-17 lead quickly dissipated. The Cheesemakers scored just three points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter and found themselves trailing 28-26.
"It's hard to explain, but I didn't think we did too bad of a job against them," Murphy said of the third quarter.
Michael Barrett then hit a jumper in the lane with a minutes to play to tie the score, and Mitch Tordoff, who led all scorers with 18 points, hit a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers the lead for good, 31-28.
The final minute of the third shifted the momentum entirely.
Murphy got his players motivated to win, and the Cheese came out firing on both offense and defense. Over the final nine minutes of the game, Monroe went on a 26-8 run.
On the opening inbounds of the fourth, senior forward Cullen Sampson played a heavy pressure defense and forced a turnover before even a second ran off the clock.
Tordoff then nailed a 3-pointer to get Monroe rolling.
On Alleman's next possession, Sampson went to work again on defense, forcing a five-second defensive call for a turnover.
"Our guys have to play that kind of defense or they are not going to play. And tonight I thought our defense was dang good. We held them to a low scoring mark, we just didn't shoot the ball very well," Murphy said. "I'll put our defense up against anybody in this tournament. When teams have to go against our set defense, I think we have a chance."
Monroe continued forcing turnovers, and hitting shots and free throws, cruising to a 44-32 lead with 2:43 left to play in the game.
The Cheesemakers were a perfect 16-for-16 from the free throw line down the stretch and 20-for-22 in the game. The Cheese also scored on 10 of its final 12 possessions.
"I'm happy to make 20 out of 25 free throws. That's how you win games. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it can get the same amount of points as going up and down the floor," Murphy said.
Mitch McArdle scored nine points and continued his dominating presence on defense, holding 6-foot, 5-inch forward Keelen Prince to just 15 points - seven of which came in the fourth quarter with shots coming from 25 feet.
Barrett had eight points, Jake Grinnell and Sampson each had six, and Bryan Tordoff finished the game with five points for the Cheesemakers.
Monroe jumps back into action tonight, as it hosts Fort Atkinson (1-9, 0-5). On Friday, Jan. 30, Monroe hosts Stoughton (6-5, 4-2), and then on Saturday, the Cheese play at Monona Grove (2-10, 1-5) in a makeup of a Jan. 15 freeze out.
"We're really going to be tested this week. Guys have to take care of their bodies," Murphy said.
"This was a bit of a step forward for us," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said of his team's first non-conference win of the season.
The Cheesemakers (6-3, 5-0 Badger South) came out ready to play. A steady defense and consistent offense allowed Monroe to take a 10-6 lead after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Monroe built its lead, scoring the first six points of the quarter for a 20-8 advantage with 2 minutes, 54 seconds left in the half.
Then Alleman (4-16), a Catholic school that plays plenty of tough competition in Illinois, made a comeback. Alleman scored six straight points and finished the half on a 9-2 run.
"I think their record is kind of deceiving. A lot of the teams they play are high-caliber," Murphy said.
Monroe's 23-17 lead quickly dissipated. The Cheesemakers scored just three points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter and found themselves trailing 28-26.
"It's hard to explain, but I didn't think we did too bad of a job against them," Murphy said of the third quarter.
Michael Barrett then hit a jumper in the lane with a minutes to play to tie the score, and Mitch Tordoff, who led all scorers with 18 points, hit a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers the lead for good, 31-28.
The final minute of the third shifted the momentum entirely.
Murphy got his players motivated to win, and the Cheese came out firing on both offense and defense. Over the final nine minutes of the game, Monroe went on a 26-8 run.
On the opening inbounds of the fourth, senior forward Cullen Sampson played a heavy pressure defense and forced a turnover before even a second ran off the clock.
Tordoff then nailed a 3-pointer to get Monroe rolling.
On Alleman's next possession, Sampson went to work again on defense, forcing a five-second defensive call for a turnover.
"Our guys have to play that kind of defense or they are not going to play. And tonight I thought our defense was dang good. We held them to a low scoring mark, we just didn't shoot the ball very well," Murphy said. "I'll put our defense up against anybody in this tournament. When teams have to go against our set defense, I think we have a chance."
Monroe continued forcing turnovers, and hitting shots and free throws, cruising to a 44-32 lead with 2:43 left to play in the game.
The Cheesemakers were a perfect 16-for-16 from the free throw line down the stretch and 20-for-22 in the game. The Cheese also scored on 10 of its final 12 possessions.
"I'm happy to make 20 out of 25 free throws. That's how you win games. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it can get the same amount of points as going up and down the floor," Murphy said.
Mitch McArdle scored nine points and continued his dominating presence on defense, holding 6-foot, 5-inch forward Keelen Prince to just 15 points - seven of which came in the fourth quarter with shots coming from 25 feet.
Barrett had eight points, Jake Grinnell and Sampson each had six, and Bryan Tordoff finished the game with five points for the Cheesemakers.
Monroe jumps back into action tonight, as it hosts Fort Atkinson (1-9, 0-5). On Friday, Jan. 30, Monroe hosts Stoughton (6-5, 4-2), and then on Saturday, the Cheese play at Monona Grove (2-10, 1-5) in a makeup of a Jan. 15 freeze out.
"We're really going to be tested this week. Guys have to take care of their bodies," Murphy said.
