Friday, March 19, 1999
Moeller beats Troy 61-53 in semifinals
Monserez, Welsch combine for 36 points
BY CAREY HOFFMAN
Enquirer contributor
DAYTON — Mike Monserez is going to Notre Dame to play basketball. Brooks Hall is going to Dayton to play basketball. For Chris Welsch, his future in basketball is now.
Welsch took center stage when Moeller needed him most, scoring 16 points to help push the Crusaders past Troy 61-53 in a Division I regional semifinal game at UD Arena Thursday night.
Moeller (18-6) matches the 1982 team for the best tournament run in school history and will face either Beavercreek or Withrow for the regional title 7:30 p.m. Saturday at UD Arena.
Troy had cut an eight-point Moeller lead to just two at the end of the third quarter. But it was Welsch who scored the first five points of the fourth quarter — on a breakout layup and then an open three-pointer — to redirect the game's momentum.
“We knew they had good shooters and there was a good chance they were going to come back,” said Welsch, who is headed to Kent State on a baseball scholarship. “We had to keep attacking.”
Welsch would add another three-pointer two minutes later to open the first double-digit lead of the game, a 46-36 Moeller advantage with 4:50 to play.
“Welsch is one of the toughest day-to-day competitors I've ever coached,” Moeller coach Carl Kre mer said.
Monserez scored 20 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to hold off Troy, and added four assists and four rebounds. Hall, a 6-foot-6 swingman, had 28 points and eight rebounds.
But outside of Hall and guard Lance Hargrove (15 points), the rest of Troy's team managed only 10 points.
“We were a little apprehensive on the offensive end for probably the first time this year,” Troy coach Barry Egan said. But he was also quick to credit Moeller's team approach.
“We wanted to really stop Michael (Monserez) from getting shots,” Egan said. “They're a very well-coached team, which showed with how those other kids stepped up and made shots.”
TROY (53) — Smith 0-4 6-6 6, Dielman 0-3 0- 1 0, Adams 1-4 0-0 3, Hall 9-17 4-4 28, Maurer 0-1 0-0 0, Hargrove 5-11 4-6 15, Nelson 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 15-40 15-19 53.
MOELLER (61) — Welsch 6-7 0-0 16, Sylvester 5-7 2-2 12, Hutzel 3-3 0-3 6, Duncan 2-7 0-0 4, Monserez 5-10 8-10 20, Byrnes 1-1 1-3 3. Totals: 22-35 11-18 61.
Troy ....... 14 10 10 19—53
Moeller ....... 15 12 9 25—61
Three-point goals: T (8-20) - Adams 1-3, Hall 6-12, Maurer 0-1, Hargrove 1-4; M (6-13) - Welsch 4-4, Duncan 0-3, Monserez 2-6. Records: T 21-3, M 18-6.
Sports Stories
Neagle likely to start on disabled list
REDS NOTEBOOK
Reds 2, Yankees 1
Bengals drop Ball
Clemson next for Xavier
California rounds out field
NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT
