MADISON - There won't be a WIAA Division 2 state championship repeat in store for the Monroe girls basketball team.
Sarah Eichler, a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit, scored 16 of her game-high 24 points in the second half to propel Grafton to a 53-45 Division 2 state semifinal win over the Cheesemakers on Friday at the Alliant Energy Center.
"I was kind of speechless," Monroe junior Ashley Hermanson said. "I thought, 'This is not happening right now.' We just couldn't do anything today. It just wasn't clicking for us."
Grafton senior Mary Kailes nailed a 3-pointer to give the Black Hawks a 39-33 lead with about 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Monroe junior Jamie Armstrong countered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Eichler scored down low and then after a Grafton steal, she scored again to give the Black Hawks a 43-38 lead with 5:30 left, which led to a Cheesemaker timeout.
"It was a tough game," Monroe coach Kevin Keen said. "It was not the ending we envisioned this year. Their pressure forced us into some uncharacteristic turnovers. That was certainly part of it. We fought and battled, but we came up a little short in the end."
Monroe sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Black Hawks' lead to 45-43 with 2:52 left, but that is as close as the Cheesemakers would get, as turnovers down the stretch short-circuited any comeback. The Cheesemakers finished with 15 turnovers and Grafton made 10 of 10 free throws in the final 3:15 to seal the victory.
"It never gets old," Eichler, a senior, said of the state tournament. "Being here three times in a row is a blessing."
In her final prep game, Monroe senior Emily Rufenacht scored a team-high 10 points.
"It was a great opportunity to come back to state as a team," Rufenacht said. "It makes us tougher as a team."
Grafton coach Bob Maronde was elated to survive the Cheesemakers' comeback.
"They (Monroe) are the defending champs," Maronde said. "They are every bit as good as last year. You respect them, but at the same time you go out and work your buns off."
Eichler scored four of the Black Hawks' first six points. The Cheesemakers went on an 8-0 spurt and took a 7-6 lead when Hermanson scored down low. Rufenacht hit a running jumper in the lane and Armstrong scored on a drive to give the Cheesemakers an 11-6 lead. Hermanson finished with nine points and eight rebounds. Armstrong had eight points and 10 rebounds. Monroe junior Gwen Sutter also had eight points for the Cheesemakers.
The Cheesemakers gained a big advantage when Eichler picked up her third foul in the second quarter. Monroe extended its lead in the second quarter when junior Morgan Kennison drilled a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Cheesemakers a 20-13 lead. From there, the Black Hawks answered with a 10-0 run highlighted by a 3-pointer by Shauna Binsfeld to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 20-19. Grafton took a 23-20 lead on a putback by senior Myranda Tyler.
Grafton received big contributions from its bench, with 11 points coming off the bench, including six points from Binsfeld in the first half. The Cheesemakers, who had been averaging 28.6 free throw attempts coming into the state tournament, enjoyed a free throw advantage (11-2) over the Black Hawks in the first half. The Cheesemakers made 6 of 11 free throws.
Eichler caught fire in the third quarter by scoring all 10 of the Black Hawks' points. She made 1 of 2 free throws to start the third quarter. She rebounded her own missed free throw and scored on the putback to give Grafton a 29-24 lead. Rufenacht answered with a 3-pointer to cut the Black Hawks' lead to 29-27 with 6:38 left in the third quarter. Eichler delivered again in the third quarter, burying a 3-pointer to give the Black Hawks a 34-29 lead with 3:14 to go in the period.
"She's a complete basketball player," Keen said of Eichler. "She can post up. She can go to the basket and she can pull up and hit the jump shot. I was very impressed with her."
After shooting 44.8 percent in the first half, the Black Hawks limited Monroe to 31.8 percent shooting in the second half (7-for-22). The Cheesemakers were held to just two field goals in the third quarter, and Sutter scored five of the Cheesemakers' points in the frame. The big third quarter by Eichler helped the Black Hawks take a 36-31 lead into the fourth quarter.
That set the stage for a big fourth quarter for the Black Hawks.
"I'm the kind of player who is intense," Eichler said. "I play better when I get riled up. When I get too riled up, I lose it."
That may have been why her freshman sister, Hannah, spoke to her before some big fourth quarter free throws with less than two minutes to go.
"The marvelous thing about Sarah is she picks her spots," Maronde said. "It's not like someone who will run through a Mack truck to make it. Sarah can do it any time or any place."
The Black Hawks (23-3), who are appearing in their third consecutive tournament, won the 2007 state championship. They will vie for their fifth title Saturday afternoon against Durand (22-2), which defeated Green Bay Notre Dame 55-44 in Friday's other Division 2 semifinal.
Sarah Eichler, a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit, scored 16 of her game-high 24 points in the second half to propel Grafton to a 53-45 Division 2 state semifinal win over the Cheesemakers on Friday at the Alliant Energy Center.
"I was kind of speechless," Monroe junior Ashley Hermanson said. "I thought, 'This is not happening right now.' We just couldn't do anything today. It just wasn't clicking for us."
Grafton senior Mary Kailes nailed a 3-pointer to give the Black Hawks a 39-33 lead with about 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Monroe junior Jamie Armstrong countered with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Eichler scored down low and then after a Grafton steal, she scored again to give the Black Hawks a 43-38 lead with 5:30 left, which led to a Cheesemaker timeout.
"It was a tough game," Monroe coach Kevin Keen said. "It was not the ending we envisioned this year. Their pressure forced us into some uncharacteristic turnovers. That was certainly part of it. We fought and battled, but we came up a little short in the end."
Monroe sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Black Hawks' lead to 45-43 with 2:52 left, but that is as close as the Cheesemakers would get, as turnovers down the stretch short-circuited any comeback. The Cheesemakers finished with 15 turnovers and Grafton made 10 of 10 free throws in the final 3:15 to seal the victory.
"It never gets old," Eichler, a senior, said of the state tournament. "Being here three times in a row is a blessing."
In her final prep game, Monroe senior Emily Rufenacht scored a team-high 10 points.
"It was a great opportunity to come back to state as a team," Rufenacht said. "It makes us tougher as a team."
Grafton coach Bob Maronde was elated to survive the Cheesemakers' comeback.
"They (Monroe) are the defending champs," Maronde said. "They are every bit as good as last year. You respect them, but at the same time you go out and work your buns off."
Eichler scored four of the Black Hawks' first six points. The Cheesemakers went on an 8-0 spurt and took a 7-6 lead when Hermanson scored down low. Rufenacht hit a running jumper in the lane and Armstrong scored on a drive to give the Cheesemakers an 11-6 lead. Hermanson finished with nine points and eight rebounds. Armstrong had eight points and 10 rebounds. Monroe junior Gwen Sutter also had eight points for the Cheesemakers.
The Cheesemakers gained a big advantage when Eichler picked up her third foul in the second quarter. Monroe extended its lead in the second quarter when junior Morgan Kennison drilled a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Cheesemakers a 20-13 lead. From there, the Black Hawks answered with a 10-0 run highlighted by a 3-pointer by Shauna Binsfeld to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 20-19. Grafton took a 23-20 lead on a putback by senior Myranda Tyler.
Grafton received big contributions from its bench, with 11 points coming off the bench, including six points from Binsfeld in the first half. The Cheesemakers, who had been averaging 28.6 free throw attempts coming into the state tournament, enjoyed a free throw advantage (11-2) over the Black Hawks in the first half. The Cheesemakers made 6 of 11 free throws.
Eichler caught fire in the third quarter by scoring all 10 of the Black Hawks' points. She made 1 of 2 free throws to start the third quarter. She rebounded her own missed free throw and scored on the putback to give Grafton a 29-24 lead. Rufenacht answered with a 3-pointer to cut the Black Hawks' lead to 29-27 with 6:38 left in the third quarter. Eichler delivered again in the third quarter, burying a 3-pointer to give the Black Hawks a 34-29 lead with 3:14 to go in the period.
"She's a complete basketball player," Keen said of Eichler. "She can post up. She can go to the basket and she can pull up and hit the jump shot. I was very impressed with her."
After shooting 44.8 percent in the first half, the Black Hawks limited Monroe to 31.8 percent shooting in the second half (7-for-22). The Cheesemakers were held to just two field goals in the third quarter, and Sutter scored five of the Cheesemakers' points in the frame. The big third quarter by Eichler helped the Black Hawks take a 36-31 lead into the fourth quarter.
That set the stage for a big fourth quarter for the Black Hawks.
"I'm the kind of player who is intense," Eichler said. "I play better when I get riled up. When I get too riled up, I lose it."
That may have been why her freshman sister, Hannah, spoke to her before some big fourth quarter free throws with less than two minutes to go.
"The marvelous thing about Sarah is she picks her spots," Maronde said. "It's not like someone who will run through a Mack truck to make it. Sarah can do it any time or any place."
The Black Hawks (23-3), who are appearing in their third consecutive tournament, won the 2007 state championship. They will vie for their fifth title Saturday afternoon against Durand (22-2), which defeated Green Bay Notre Dame 55-44 in Friday's other Division 2 semifinal.