Record-Breakers
List of Division 2 state tournament records tied or broken by Monroe:
Team records:
• 3-point field goals made in a game: 12 vs. Wisconsin Lutheran; was 10 (Seymour '04, Monroe '07)
• 3-point field goals attempted in a game: 32; was 29 (Dodgeville, '04)
Individual records:
• Points in a tournament: Mitch Tordoff, 61; was 60 (Mike Jirschele, Clintonville, '77)
• 3-point field goals attempted in a game: M. Tordoff, 17 vs. Wis. Lutheran; was 15 (Matt Hintz, New London, '98)
• 3-point field goals made in a game: M. Tordoff, 8 vs. Wis. Lutheran; was 7 (Alex Izzo, New Berlin Eisenhower, '08)
• 3-point field goals made in a tournament: M. Tordoff, 9; was 8 (Izzo, '08)
• Free throws made in a game: M. Tordoff 15 vs. Appleton Xavier; was 14 (Thane Anderson, Black River Falls '88; Brett Stangel, Monroe '07)
• List of records tied: Points in a game: M. Tordoff, 33 vs. Wis. Lutheran (Stangel, '07)
• Free throws attempted in a game: M. Tordoff 17, vs. Xavier (Stangel, '07)
MADISON - Monroe senior Mitch Tordoff capped an amazing prep career with a record-breaking performance at the WIAA Division 2 state tournament.
Tordoff broke five individual state records and tied two others in a 79-67 loss to Wisconsin Lutheran in the WIAA Division 2 state championship game on Saturday at the Kohl Center.
Tordoff broke Clintonville's Mike Jirschele's 32-year-old record by scoring 61 points in two tournament games. He also set Division 2 state records for 3-pointers made and attempted, going 8-for-17 behind the arc in Saturday's game. Tordoff scored a game-high 33 points, which tied Monroe alum Brett Stangel's single-game Division 2 state record from 2007.
With his record-setting performance in the state championship game, Tordoff eclipsed the Division 2 tournament record for 3-pointers made (9). He broke the record for free throws made in a game (15) and tied the record for free throw attempts (17), which came Friday in Monroe's 53-39 semifinal win over Appleton Xavier.
"Right now, I'm just happy to be here," Tordoff said. "Maybe it will mean more later. I'm just so happy for our guys for what we've accomplished this year. We'll look back on it and realize we've accomplished something great and that most teams don't get to experience."
Tordoff, who averaged 30.5 points per game at state, was one of three unanimous selections to the all-tournament team, joining Wisconsin Lutheran junior Flavien Davis and Madison Memorial junior Vander Blue, the tournament's MVP who has verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Lutheran coach Ryan Walz knew Tordoff was one of the premier shooters in the state.
"Mitch Tordoff is one of the best point guards in the state," Walz said. "You cannot measure that kid's heart, his grit and his determination. Some of the shots he hit were unbelievable. There are not many kids who can step back five feet and hit the 3-pointer."
Davis scored 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to spearhead a comeback win over the Cheesemakers. The size and athleticism of Lutheran was too much to overcome.
In a play that epitomized the state title game, Davis jumped over Monroe senior Mitch McArdle and scored on a putback and was fouled to cap a 14-5 second-quarter run. He converted the three-point play at the free throw line to give Lutheran a 23-22 lead and the Vikings rolled from there.
"He's the real deal," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of Davis. "He obviously wants to showcase something. Big-time players like the big stage. There is a reason he's going to play Division I somewhere."
Lutheran outrebounded Monroe 38-22 and for the second straight game. The Cheesemakers gave up 14 offensive rebounds, which gave Lutheran an 18-4 edge in second-chance points over the Cheesemakers. The Vikings pounded the Cheesemakers, 42-10, on points in the paint.
"The thing that sticks out in my mind is they (Lutheran) shot 58 percent," Murphy said. "It seems like their size in there wore us down a little bit."
Walz knew the Vikings' size could play a big role.
"We knew they (Monroe) were great defensively," he said. "We knew we had to work real hard to get the ball inside, which is where we knew we'd have the advantage. We struggled with that in the first quarter - we rushed some shots - but as the game went along, I thought that we established our power inside."
The Cheesemakers also set Division 2 state records for the most 3-pointers made (12) and attempted (32).
"We hit a couple of long bombs there at the beginning," Tordoff said. "You can't expect to hit those all game. We kind of (struggled) a little there in the second quarter and that's when they went on their streak."
Walz knows the 3-pointer can be a dangerous weapon.
"That 3-point shot is a double-edged sword," Walz said. "When they miss, it can set you up with some fast breaks. And once we got out running, we got comfortable and got into a rhythm."
Monroe (18-8) brought home the silver ball in its third straight trip to state and fourth in the last five years.
"We came into the state tournament on a mission to win, and we won one. To take home two trophies in three years is pretty good," Murphy said.
Tordoff broke five individual state records and tied two others in a 79-67 loss to Wisconsin Lutheran in the WIAA Division 2 state championship game on Saturday at the Kohl Center.
Tordoff broke Clintonville's Mike Jirschele's 32-year-old record by scoring 61 points in two tournament games. He also set Division 2 state records for 3-pointers made and attempted, going 8-for-17 behind the arc in Saturday's game. Tordoff scored a game-high 33 points, which tied Monroe alum Brett Stangel's single-game Division 2 state record from 2007.
With his record-setting performance in the state championship game, Tordoff eclipsed the Division 2 tournament record for 3-pointers made (9). He broke the record for free throws made in a game (15) and tied the record for free throw attempts (17), which came Friday in Monroe's 53-39 semifinal win over Appleton Xavier.
"Right now, I'm just happy to be here," Tordoff said. "Maybe it will mean more later. I'm just so happy for our guys for what we've accomplished this year. We'll look back on it and realize we've accomplished something great and that most teams don't get to experience."
Tordoff, who averaged 30.5 points per game at state, was one of three unanimous selections to the all-tournament team, joining Wisconsin Lutheran junior Flavien Davis and Madison Memorial junior Vander Blue, the tournament's MVP who has verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Lutheran coach Ryan Walz knew Tordoff was one of the premier shooters in the state.
"Mitch Tordoff is one of the best point guards in the state," Walz said. "You cannot measure that kid's heart, his grit and his determination. Some of the shots he hit were unbelievable. There are not many kids who can step back five feet and hit the 3-pointer."
Davis scored 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to spearhead a comeback win over the Cheesemakers. The size and athleticism of Lutheran was too much to overcome.
In a play that epitomized the state title game, Davis jumped over Monroe senior Mitch McArdle and scored on a putback and was fouled to cap a 14-5 second-quarter run. He converted the three-point play at the free throw line to give Lutheran a 23-22 lead and the Vikings rolled from there.
"He's the real deal," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of Davis. "He obviously wants to showcase something. Big-time players like the big stage. There is a reason he's going to play Division I somewhere."
Lutheran outrebounded Monroe 38-22 and for the second straight game. The Cheesemakers gave up 14 offensive rebounds, which gave Lutheran an 18-4 edge in second-chance points over the Cheesemakers. The Vikings pounded the Cheesemakers, 42-10, on points in the paint.
"The thing that sticks out in my mind is they (Lutheran) shot 58 percent," Murphy said. "It seems like their size in there wore us down a little bit."
Walz knew the Vikings' size could play a big role.
"We knew they (Monroe) were great defensively," he said. "We knew we had to work real hard to get the ball inside, which is where we knew we'd have the advantage. We struggled with that in the first quarter - we rushed some shots - but as the game went along, I thought that we established our power inside."
The Cheesemakers also set Division 2 state records for the most 3-pointers made (12) and attempted (32).
"We hit a couple of long bombs there at the beginning," Tordoff said. "You can't expect to hit those all game. We kind of (struggled) a little there in the second quarter and that's when they went on their streak."
Walz knows the 3-pointer can be a dangerous weapon.
"That 3-point shot is a double-edged sword," Walz said. "When they miss, it can set you up with some fast breaks. And once we got out running, we got comfortable and got into a rhythm."
Monroe (18-8) brought home the silver ball in its third straight trip to state and fourth in the last five years.
"We came into the state tournament on a mission to win, and we won one. To take home two trophies in three years is pretty good," Murphy said.
