MONROE - It's been said that veteran players step up in moments, and that's exactly what Brayden Zettle did in the opening round of the WIAA Division 2 boys basketball playoffs Tuesday night.
The Monroe senior became nearly unconscious with his 3-point shooting in the second half, hitting four 3s in under three minutes time to give his team - and the crowd - the emotional boost needed to close out the victory. In the end, Zettle scored a game-high 25 points and the seventh-seeded Cheesemakers beat 10th-seeded Oregon 64-49.
"Zettle had this look in his eye," Monroe head coach Brian Bassett said. "He's really been focused in practice. I'm happy that everybody got to see what we see in practice every day. For the last two years he's done what he did tonight every day in practice."
Oregon (9-14) packs two brothers that can hit shot after shot from deep - senior Ethan Victorson and freshman Erik Victorson. While the elder Panther was kept in check by the Cheesemakers defense (scoring just 2 points), the young freshman scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, burying 4 of 5 3s in the process.
"The Victorsons are incredible shooters. You have to pay so much attention to them that it can open up the floor for everyone else," Bassett said.
And shoot the longball young Erik Victorson did, scoring all 16 points during a 7-minute stretch in the middle of the second half. No one else for Oregon scored a point during that timeframe, but the freshman was able to keep his team to within two possessions for the entire stretch.
Not to be outdone, Zettle went shot-for-shot with the youngster with increasing distance on each shot.
"My guys kept on setting me big screens and the passes were there," Zettle said. "I was just fortunate to knock them down."
Zettle scored 16 points in the second half, and capped the game's scoring with a coast-to-coast steal and layup with 1:15 left to play.
"Hats off to the kids. They took ownership in that second half," Bassett said. "That wasn't coaching in the game, it was coaching all the way through the year. They ran with it. They called plays for Brayden in the second half, plays for Kade - they were the ones that were doing it."
In the first half it was all Zettle and Kade King on offense for the Cheesemakers (14-9), as Monroe found itself down by six midway through the first thanks to Oregon's hot shooting.
"It was same old story - it seems that no matter where we're at (on the floor), no matter where our hands are at, people just hit shots against us. It's frustrating," said Bassett. "Twenty-three (Brandon Blanke) hasn't hit those shots all year long and he's hitting them tonight."
Blanke hit three 3s in the game after making just six all season. Each time he hit one against Monroe he turned to the Cheesemakers student section and bench with his finger over his lips, showboating and trying to silence the home crowd.
"It irritated our guys in the first half that every time (Blanke) made a shot he'd put his hand to his mouth," Bassett said. "I think it really lit a fire under our guys. They didn't appreciate it."
King, standing 6-6 with a burly physique, dominated in the post throughout the game, however.
"My teammates did an excellent job getting me the ball in the post," said King, who finished with 22 points in the game.
King was also focused on grabbing as many rebounds and loose balls as possible.
"They were getting offensive rebounds, so I had to return the favor," King said.
Max Lange hit a 3 to close out the first half that gave the Cheesemakers a 28-25 lead at the break.
"We were waiting for the last shot, and I was saying, 'Don't shoot, don't shoot,' and then he shot it," Bassett said of Lange's triple. "And then I was like, 'OK, he got it. We'll take it."
While Zettle's 25 and King's 22 paced Monroe in scoring throughout the game, others stepped up. Lange finished with 7 points, and both Jonah Tostrud and David Keegan scored five points in the second half. Both teams hit 10 3s in the game, and the Cheesemakers also finished 12 of 14 from the free throw line.
"The first half wasn't great," Zettle said. "We weren't in gaps on defense and we weren't working the offense very well. Coaches said to just keep running the course, and that's what we did."
Up next for the Cheesemakers is a rubber match at second-seeded Stoughton (14-8) on Friday. The two teams split the season series, each winning their own home game. Monroe won the most recent matchup 69-68 Feb. 9. Stoughton finished the season in second place in the Badger South standings.
Zettle said closing his career on the MHS court with a win felt great, but there is some more work to be done.
"We know Stoughton is a really, really good team. We just have to leave everything out on the floor," Zettle said.
The Monroe senior became nearly unconscious with his 3-point shooting in the second half, hitting four 3s in under three minutes time to give his team - and the crowd - the emotional boost needed to close out the victory. In the end, Zettle scored a game-high 25 points and the seventh-seeded Cheesemakers beat 10th-seeded Oregon 64-49.
"Zettle had this look in his eye," Monroe head coach Brian Bassett said. "He's really been focused in practice. I'm happy that everybody got to see what we see in practice every day. For the last two years he's done what he did tonight every day in practice."
Oregon (9-14) packs two brothers that can hit shot after shot from deep - senior Ethan Victorson and freshman Erik Victorson. While the elder Panther was kept in check by the Cheesemakers defense (scoring just 2 points), the young freshman scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, burying 4 of 5 3s in the process.
"The Victorsons are incredible shooters. You have to pay so much attention to them that it can open up the floor for everyone else," Bassett said.
And shoot the longball young Erik Victorson did, scoring all 16 points during a 7-minute stretch in the middle of the second half. No one else for Oregon scored a point during that timeframe, but the freshman was able to keep his team to within two possessions for the entire stretch.
Not to be outdone, Zettle went shot-for-shot with the youngster with increasing distance on each shot.
"My guys kept on setting me big screens and the passes were there," Zettle said. "I was just fortunate to knock them down."
Zettle scored 16 points in the second half, and capped the game's scoring with a coast-to-coast steal and layup with 1:15 left to play.
"Hats off to the kids. They took ownership in that second half," Bassett said. "That wasn't coaching in the game, it was coaching all the way through the year. They ran with it. They called plays for Brayden in the second half, plays for Kade - they were the ones that were doing it."
In the first half it was all Zettle and Kade King on offense for the Cheesemakers (14-9), as Monroe found itself down by six midway through the first thanks to Oregon's hot shooting.
"It was same old story - it seems that no matter where we're at (on the floor), no matter where our hands are at, people just hit shots against us. It's frustrating," said Bassett. "Twenty-three (Brandon Blanke) hasn't hit those shots all year long and he's hitting them tonight."
Blanke hit three 3s in the game after making just six all season. Each time he hit one against Monroe he turned to the Cheesemakers student section and bench with his finger over his lips, showboating and trying to silence the home crowd.
"It irritated our guys in the first half that every time (Blanke) made a shot he'd put his hand to his mouth," Bassett said. "I think it really lit a fire under our guys. They didn't appreciate it."
King, standing 6-6 with a burly physique, dominated in the post throughout the game, however.
"My teammates did an excellent job getting me the ball in the post," said King, who finished with 22 points in the game.
King was also focused on grabbing as many rebounds and loose balls as possible.
"They were getting offensive rebounds, so I had to return the favor," King said.
Max Lange hit a 3 to close out the first half that gave the Cheesemakers a 28-25 lead at the break.
"We were waiting for the last shot, and I was saying, 'Don't shoot, don't shoot,' and then he shot it," Bassett said of Lange's triple. "And then I was like, 'OK, he got it. We'll take it."
While Zettle's 25 and King's 22 paced Monroe in scoring throughout the game, others stepped up. Lange finished with 7 points, and both Jonah Tostrud and David Keegan scored five points in the second half. Both teams hit 10 3s in the game, and the Cheesemakers also finished 12 of 14 from the free throw line.
"The first half wasn't great," Zettle said. "We weren't in gaps on defense and we weren't working the offense very well. Coaches said to just keep running the course, and that's what we did."
Up next for the Cheesemakers is a rubber match at second-seeded Stoughton (14-8) on Friday. The two teams split the season series, each winning their own home game. Monroe won the most recent matchup 69-68 Feb. 9. Stoughton finished the season in second place in the Badger South standings.
Zettle said closing his career on the MHS court with a win felt great, but there is some more work to be done.
"We know Stoughton is a really, really good team. We just have to leave everything out on the floor," Zettle said.
