MILWAUKEE - Monroe's boys team went into the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout looking to see how well it matched up against some of the top teams in the state. The first game was a disappointing loss. The second told nearly the same story, as Menomonee Falls trounced the Cheesemakers 67-47 on Saturday.
"It's kind of the same thing that happened (Friday)," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said. "In the second half things got away from us. I thought we had a few chances with open looks, but we couldn't knock down the shot."
Facing an excessively athletic team, the Cheesemakers (3-3) knew matchups would be tough. Falls (3-5) boasts four players over 6-feet, 4 inches tall, including senior Luke Russell, a 6-9 center who is ranked among the top 10 players in the class of 2009 by WisHoops.net. Excellent guard play also is a strong point for the Indians.
Monroe started the game a little lackluster. The Cheesemakers spent much of the first three minutes searching for the basket and found themselves quickly down 7-2. Sophomore guard Bryan Tordoff was charged with his second foul just more than two minutes into the game and was forced to sit to avoid more early foul trouble.
"Bryan was never in rhythm, and when one of your better guys is never in rhythm it can throw off your whole team and force guys to step up," Murphy said. "We talk about fighting through adversity and at times we did and at times we didn't."
The Cheesemakers seemed to come together and play as a team in his absence. Four different Cheesemakers scored during a 12-2 run to close out the quarter with a 14-9 lead.
The lead was taken to as much as nine points at 21-12 nearly a minute and a half into the second quarter. By that time, Mitch Tordoff had eight of his game-high 24 points.
Clinging to a 24-17 lead with less than four minutes to play, Monroe stopped making the shots it needed, and Fall's size started picking up momentum in the lane, consistently grabbing rebounds despite Monroe doing its best to box out players in the paint.
"We knew they were going to be big," Murphy said.
Falls picked up a pair of 3s and finished the half on a 12-2 run of its own to tie up the score at halftime, 24-24.
With 4.5 seconds left in the half, Monroe had the chance to score. The Cheesemakers had an inbound play set up, sending both Tordoff brothers into the game from a rest on the bench, looking for that one shot to give the Cheese the lead back. However, on the inbound, Bryan Tordoff, despite not being heavily guarded, was called for pushing off a defender, suffering his third foul and a turnover.
"It was a questionable call," Bryan Tordoff said. "But that's just the way basketball goes. Sometimes you get some, sometimes you don't. You just have to play through it, and today we didn't."
Falls kept right on shooting in the second half. Bryan Tordoff picked up his fourth foul in the paint just a minute into the second half, seemingly putting him out of the game plan for good.
"It was a tough game. But you can be sure that every time you play you're going to have one, maybe two really bad calls on you. We try to keep our guys away from stupid fouls," Murphy said. "And we're a team that relies on everything. Everybody has to be in the flow of the game in order for us to do well.
"We played well up here for two halves in two games, and if anything, it takes four good quarters to take on a good team."
Falls went on an 18-2 run to open the third quarter, including 13 straight points in one stretch.
"It's amazing that in a basketball game, being down one or two possessions in a close game can change in a hurry, and soon you're down a lot more than that," Murphy said.
Before the dust settled, Monroe trailed 41-26.
"It's definitely an advantage to be that much taller," Mitch Tordoff said. "But I think we have the intangibles to get it done. But we just need to play more as a team and get back to the basics."
Monroe finished the quarter on a 9-2 run capped by Mitch Tordoff hitting three free throws after being fouled, cutting Menomonee Falls' lead to 44-35 entering the fourth quarter.
The Cheesemakers brought the game back to within seven points at 52-45 with four and a half minutes to play. Falls then ran away with the game, forcing turnovers and getting transition baskets, including a nasty two-handed slam by freshman sensation J.P. Tokoto with just more than two minutes left. The steal and dunk put Monroe down 62-47.
"We didn't play our best," Mitch Tordoff said. "Our fundamentals weren't there and we turned the ball over too much. I thought they were a lot more physical than us. We need to get a lot tougher."
Murphy now has to get his team ready for the rest of the season, including a heavy January scheduled in which the Cheese plays eight games.
"Our goals are to win conference and to make it to state. We have to start playing all four quarters," Murphy said.
Michael Barrett scored eight points for the Cheesemakers. Connor Beaudoin had 17 points and Luke Russell had 14 for the Indians.
"It's kind of the same thing that happened (Friday)," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said. "In the second half things got away from us. I thought we had a few chances with open looks, but we couldn't knock down the shot."
Facing an excessively athletic team, the Cheesemakers (3-3) knew matchups would be tough. Falls (3-5) boasts four players over 6-feet, 4 inches tall, including senior Luke Russell, a 6-9 center who is ranked among the top 10 players in the class of 2009 by WisHoops.net. Excellent guard play also is a strong point for the Indians.
Monroe started the game a little lackluster. The Cheesemakers spent much of the first three minutes searching for the basket and found themselves quickly down 7-2. Sophomore guard Bryan Tordoff was charged with his second foul just more than two minutes into the game and was forced to sit to avoid more early foul trouble.
"Bryan was never in rhythm, and when one of your better guys is never in rhythm it can throw off your whole team and force guys to step up," Murphy said. "We talk about fighting through adversity and at times we did and at times we didn't."
The Cheesemakers seemed to come together and play as a team in his absence. Four different Cheesemakers scored during a 12-2 run to close out the quarter with a 14-9 lead.
The lead was taken to as much as nine points at 21-12 nearly a minute and a half into the second quarter. By that time, Mitch Tordoff had eight of his game-high 24 points.
Clinging to a 24-17 lead with less than four minutes to play, Monroe stopped making the shots it needed, and Fall's size started picking up momentum in the lane, consistently grabbing rebounds despite Monroe doing its best to box out players in the paint.
"We knew they were going to be big," Murphy said.
Falls picked up a pair of 3s and finished the half on a 12-2 run of its own to tie up the score at halftime, 24-24.
With 4.5 seconds left in the half, Monroe had the chance to score. The Cheesemakers had an inbound play set up, sending both Tordoff brothers into the game from a rest on the bench, looking for that one shot to give the Cheese the lead back. However, on the inbound, Bryan Tordoff, despite not being heavily guarded, was called for pushing off a defender, suffering his third foul and a turnover.
"It was a questionable call," Bryan Tordoff said. "But that's just the way basketball goes. Sometimes you get some, sometimes you don't. You just have to play through it, and today we didn't."
Falls kept right on shooting in the second half. Bryan Tordoff picked up his fourth foul in the paint just a minute into the second half, seemingly putting him out of the game plan for good.
"It was a tough game. But you can be sure that every time you play you're going to have one, maybe two really bad calls on you. We try to keep our guys away from stupid fouls," Murphy said. "And we're a team that relies on everything. Everybody has to be in the flow of the game in order for us to do well.
"We played well up here for two halves in two games, and if anything, it takes four good quarters to take on a good team."
Falls went on an 18-2 run to open the third quarter, including 13 straight points in one stretch.
"It's amazing that in a basketball game, being down one or two possessions in a close game can change in a hurry, and soon you're down a lot more than that," Murphy said.
Before the dust settled, Monroe trailed 41-26.
"It's definitely an advantage to be that much taller," Mitch Tordoff said. "But I think we have the intangibles to get it done. But we just need to play more as a team and get back to the basics."
Monroe finished the quarter on a 9-2 run capped by Mitch Tordoff hitting three free throws after being fouled, cutting Menomonee Falls' lead to 44-35 entering the fourth quarter.
The Cheesemakers brought the game back to within seven points at 52-45 with four and a half minutes to play. Falls then ran away with the game, forcing turnovers and getting transition baskets, including a nasty two-handed slam by freshman sensation J.P. Tokoto with just more than two minutes left. The steal and dunk put Monroe down 62-47.
"We didn't play our best," Mitch Tordoff said. "Our fundamentals weren't there and we turned the ball over too much. I thought they were a lot more physical than us. We need to get a lot tougher."
Murphy now has to get his team ready for the rest of the season, including a heavy January scheduled in which the Cheese plays eight games.
"Our goals are to win conference and to make it to state. We have to start playing all four quarters," Murphy said.
Michael Barrett scored eight points for the Cheesemakers. Connor Beaudoin had 17 points and Luke Russell had 14 for the Indians.
