MADISON - The Monroe boys basketball team needed every Mitch and Tordoff on its roster, plus a little extra, to pull off a 53-39 win Friday over Appleton Xavier in a WIAA Division 2 state semifinal game at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Mitch Tordoff finished with a game-high 28 points, including a new Division 2 state record 15 free throws. Bryan Tordoff scored 13 points, and Mitch McArdle made plays on both ends of the court to help the Cheesemakers advance to today's state championship game. Monroe will try for its second state championship in three seasons.
The Cheesemakers will face Wisconsin Lutheran at about 1:45 p.m. this afternoon at the Kohl Center for the Division 2 title.Jeff Rogers 3/20/09
"We need everybody on this team. Mitch Tordoff, Mitch McArdle, Bryan Tordoff, Jake Grinnell, Michael Barrett - everyone. They all make plays for us," head coach Pat Murphy said.
Senior Mitch Tordoff struggled with his 3-point shot all game, starting 0-for-7 before hitting his only triple of the game in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Bryan Tordoff picked up the slack. The younger sibling went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, all coming in the second half. His first two triples came on back-to-back possessions from beyond the NBA 3-point line. Those 3s helped Monroe out of a bit of a funk during which Xavier's size and Mitch Tordoff's foul trouble seemed to slow the Cheesemakers.
Trailing by five points to start the fourth quarter, McArdle quickly picked off a pass and went coast to coast for a hoop. A little while later, Grinnell flipped a loose ball from his stomach to Bryan Tordoff for another 3-pointer that tied the score at 39-39. Mitch Tordoff hit his only 3 a possession later, then finished off going 13-for-14 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
"We are known to make our free throws. And Mitch especially. I was surprised he missed two in the game," Murphy said after the senior went 15-for-17.
Mitch Tordoff finished with a game-high 28 points, including a new Division 2 state record 15 free throws. Bryan Tordoff scored 13 points, and Mitch McArdle made plays on both ends of the court to help the Cheesemakers advance to today's state championship game. Monroe will try for its second state championship in three seasons.
The Cheesemakers will face Wisconsin Lutheran at about 1:45 p.m. this afternoon at the Kohl Center for the Division 2 title.Jeff Rogers 3/20/09
"We need everybody on this team. Mitch Tordoff, Mitch McArdle, Bryan Tordoff, Jake Grinnell, Michael Barrett - everyone. They all make plays for us," head coach Pat Murphy said.
Senior Mitch Tordoff struggled with his 3-point shot all game, starting 0-for-7 before hitting his only triple of the game in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Bryan Tordoff picked up the slack. The younger sibling went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, all coming in the second half. His first two triples came on back-to-back possessions from beyond the NBA 3-point line. Those 3s helped Monroe out of a bit of a funk during which Xavier's size and Mitch Tordoff's foul trouble seemed to slow the Cheesemakers.
Trailing by five points to start the fourth quarter, McArdle quickly picked off a pass and went coast to coast for a hoop. A little while later, Grinnell flipped a loose ball from his stomach to Bryan Tordoff for another 3-pointer that tied the score at 39-39. Mitch Tordoff hit his only 3 a possession later, then finished off going 13-for-14 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
"We are known to make our free throws. And Mitch especially. I was surprised he missed two in the game," Murphy said after the senior went 15-for-17.
