MONROE - Every time the Monroe High School boys basketball team took the lead late in the second half Friday against fifth-ranked Stoughton, Vikings' sharpshooter Max Fernholz answered with a 3-pointer.
Fernholz scored a game-high 23 points and drilled five 3-pointers to help the Vikings tip Monroe 71-68.
Stoughton (9-0, 4-0 Badger South) hit 11 3-pointers as a team to stave off the Cheesemakers' upset bid.
"I thought we executed our gameplan point on," Monroe coach Brian Bassett said.
"They did everything we asked of them, put themselves in a position to win. I told the guys afterwards that Fernholz may be the best player in the conference right now. We knew he could shoot it. We had to contest everything."
Monroe senior Alex Tordoff cashed in on a layup with 1 minute, 4 seconds to go after a bounce pass by Carter Sawdey to give the Cheesemakers a 68-67 lead. Fernholz drilled a 3-pointer with 39 seconds to go to give the Vikings a 70-68 lead.
Monroe (4-6, 2-3) had a couple of opportunities in the final seconds to tie it or take the lead. Tordoff missed a contested layup and then grabbed an offensive rebound. Tordoff's shot over the outstretched arms of 6-foot-4 Stoughton junior Tommy McClain hit the backboard, and the Vikings grabbed the rebound with 2.3 seconds left. Stoughton junior Jordan DiBenedetto made 1 of 2 free throws with 1.2 seconds to go. Tordoff's desperation three-quarter-court shot was off the mark at the buzzer, and the Vikings survived.
"We just wanted to get the ball to the basket, get a good shot or a foul," said Monroe junior Jonah Tostrud, who scored 12 points. "We know we can play with them now. Since they are the No. 5-ranked team (in Division 2) in the state we should be able to play with anyone, especially in our conference. It gives us confidence going into the rest of the season."
Fernholz knocked down nine 3-pointers and scored 27 points in a 93-51 win against Dodgeville Dec. 22.
"He's one of the best shooters in our league," Tostrud said of Fernholz. "He will shoot it from anywhere on the floor. He's tough to guard. He has an all-around game on offense."
Monroe junior David Keegan scored a team-high 13 points. Both Tordoff and sophomore Nick Schumacher added 10 points and had seven rebounds. Senior Tyler Elmer had eight points, and junior Brayden Zettle chipped in seven points.
Stoughton junior Troy Slaby, who entered the game averaging 26.6 points per game, was limited to 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
The Cheesemakers looked up to the challenge early on. They opened the game with a 12-5 run sparked by Tostrud, who scored six points off the bench during the spurt.
The Vikings responded with a 16-2 run fueled by 3-point shooting. Stoughton senior Nicholas Hucherson hit two 3-pointers during the surge to help the Vikings take a 21-14 lead with 8:36 left in the first half. Two free throws by Monroe senior Dylan Beaver and a layup by Tordoff cut the Vikings' lead to six points, 31-25. Fernholz then knocked down a 3-pointer to extend the lead back to nine points. Fernholz scored on a layup to give the Vikings a 36-25 lead with 2:12 left in the first half.
Despite shooting 40 percent in the first half (12 of 30), the Cheesemakers trailed by just seven points at the break, 38-31, due to six offensive rebounds that led to some second-chance points.
The Vikings shot 52 percent in the first half (13 of 25), including seven 3-pointers.
The second half was a see-saw battle. The Vikings built a 10-point lead before the Cheesemakers again mounted a comeback. Keegan had the hot hand in the second half, scoring 11 of his 13 points.
Keegan hit a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers a 64-61 lead with 4:15 left. After the Vikings tied it, Keegan scored on a layup to give the Cheesemakers a 66-64 lead with 2:46 to go. Fernholz answered by drilling a back-breaking 3-pointer to give the Vikings a 67-66 lead. That set the stage for the final-minute drama.
"I think now we know how good we can be and we can beat anyone," Keegan said. "We can't back down against them because they are a top-ranked team in the state."
Fernholz scored a game-high 23 points and drilled five 3-pointers to help the Vikings tip Monroe 71-68.
Stoughton (9-0, 4-0 Badger South) hit 11 3-pointers as a team to stave off the Cheesemakers' upset bid.
"I thought we executed our gameplan point on," Monroe coach Brian Bassett said.
"They did everything we asked of them, put themselves in a position to win. I told the guys afterwards that Fernholz may be the best player in the conference right now. We knew he could shoot it. We had to contest everything."
Monroe senior Alex Tordoff cashed in on a layup with 1 minute, 4 seconds to go after a bounce pass by Carter Sawdey to give the Cheesemakers a 68-67 lead. Fernholz drilled a 3-pointer with 39 seconds to go to give the Vikings a 70-68 lead.
Monroe (4-6, 2-3) had a couple of opportunities in the final seconds to tie it or take the lead. Tordoff missed a contested layup and then grabbed an offensive rebound. Tordoff's shot over the outstretched arms of 6-foot-4 Stoughton junior Tommy McClain hit the backboard, and the Vikings grabbed the rebound with 2.3 seconds left. Stoughton junior Jordan DiBenedetto made 1 of 2 free throws with 1.2 seconds to go. Tordoff's desperation three-quarter-court shot was off the mark at the buzzer, and the Vikings survived.
"We just wanted to get the ball to the basket, get a good shot or a foul," said Monroe junior Jonah Tostrud, who scored 12 points. "We know we can play with them now. Since they are the No. 5-ranked team (in Division 2) in the state we should be able to play with anyone, especially in our conference. It gives us confidence going into the rest of the season."
Fernholz knocked down nine 3-pointers and scored 27 points in a 93-51 win against Dodgeville Dec. 22.
"He's one of the best shooters in our league," Tostrud said of Fernholz. "He will shoot it from anywhere on the floor. He's tough to guard. He has an all-around game on offense."
Monroe junior David Keegan scored a team-high 13 points. Both Tordoff and sophomore Nick Schumacher added 10 points and had seven rebounds. Senior Tyler Elmer had eight points, and junior Brayden Zettle chipped in seven points.
Stoughton junior Troy Slaby, who entered the game averaging 26.6 points per game, was limited to 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
The Cheesemakers looked up to the challenge early on. They opened the game with a 12-5 run sparked by Tostrud, who scored six points off the bench during the spurt.
The Vikings responded with a 16-2 run fueled by 3-point shooting. Stoughton senior Nicholas Hucherson hit two 3-pointers during the surge to help the Vikings take a 21-14 lead with 8:36 left in the first half. Two free throws by Monroe senior Dylan Beaver and a layup by Tordoff cut the Vikings' lead to six points, 31-25. Fernholz then knocked down a 3-pointer to extend the lead back to nine points. Fernholz scored on a layup to give the Vikings a 36-25 lead with 2:12 left in the first half.
Despite shooting 40 percent in the first half (12 of 30), the Cheesemakers trailed by just seven points at the break, 38-31, due to six offensive rebounds that led to some second-chance points.
The Vikings shot 52 percent in the first half (13 of 25), including seven 3-pointers.
The second half was a see-saw battle. The Vikings built a 10-point lead before the Cheesemakers again mounted a comeback. Keegan had the hot hand in the second half, scoring 11 of his 13 points.
Keegan hit a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers a 64-61 lead with 4:15 left. After the Vikings tied it, Keegan scored on a layup to give the Cheesemakers a 66-64 lead with 2:46 to go. Fernholz answered by drilling a back-breaking 3-pointer to give the Vikings a 67-66 lead. That set the stage for the final-minute drama.
"I think now we know how good we can be and we can beat anyone," Keegan said. "We can't back down against them because they are a top-ranked team in the state."
