MONROE - Down the stretch, the Monroe girls basketball team was automatic from the free-throw line to put the icing on a 43-29 win over Oregon Thursday night.
The Cheesemakers (9-8, 4-5 Badger South) made 16 of 19 free throws, including 8 of 8 in the final 3 minutes, to seal the win. The Panthers twice sliced the Cheesemakers' lead to eight points in the final 3 minutes.
"We practice against the press in practice," said Monroe senior Kyleigh Sellnow who scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds and hit 6 of 6 free throws down the stretch. "We have been working on our free throws a lot during practice. It was a critical point. It was good to see everyone make their free throws. There were games earlier in the season where we didn't make our free throws. As the season progresses, we have been making free throws in those key moments."
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason has seen the Cheesemakers play tight games this year where the foul shots were not always automatic.
"It's a situation where we have been either very good or a little shaky," Mathiason said. "It's a situation where you make them and you get a little confidence. The free throws are big."
Monroe senior Kylee Ritschard had a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Brooke McBain added eight points.
Early on, it didn't look like the game would come down to free throw shooting. The Cheesemakers opened the game with an 11-0 first quarter run. Five Monroe players scored during the run and the Cheesemakers grabbed four offensive rebounds. Monroe freshman Taylor Barrett scored on a putback and junior Abbey Foulker scored down low to give the Cheesemakers an 11-0 lead. The Panthers opened the game shooting 0-for-10. The Cheesemakers held the Panthers scoreless for 6 minutes, 18 seconds. Oregon sophomore Maranda Ricker scored on a layup with 1:42 left in the first quarter to snap the scoring drought.
"It's going to be hard to maintain that pace," Mathiason said. "Oregon played hard. Basketball is a game of runs."
The Panthers answered with an 11-2 run that spanned into the second quarter to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 15-11. The Cheesemakers' offense cooled in the second quarter. That's until senior Kristin McArdle and senior Abby Jacobson hit 3-pointers to extend the lead to 21-11. Despite shooting just 22.7 percent (5 of 22) in the first half, the Panthers trailed the Cheesemakers 21-13 at halftime.
The Cheesemakers scored five straight points to start the third quarter, including baskets by Ritschard and McBain. The Cheesemakers led 26-13 after a Ritschard free throw early in the period.
The Panthers answered with six consecutive points. Oregon senior Kali Jahn scored down low. Then Jahn came up with a steal and layup and Ricker scored on a layup after a steal to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 26-19 with 6:13 left in the third quarter.
Ritschard gave Monroe a boost when she knocked down a long 3-pointer from the wing right before the buzzer to give the Cheesemakers a 35-21 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Oregon 6-foot, 1-inch freshman Maddy Gits scored nine points to lead the Panthers.
"Defensively, I thought we were very good tonight," Sellnow said. "It helped us get the win tonight. We helped in the post on their talented freshman."
After a two-point loss to Waunakee and a loss to Milton, Mathiason was excited to see his team pull out a win.
"We try to pride ourselves on defense," Mathiason said. "They did a good job of helping inside on Gits. We played good help defense and did a pretty good job of limiting them to one shot and rebounding. I'm just happy with the way the girls finished."
The Cheesemakers (9-8, 4-5 Badger South) made 16 of 19 free throws, including 8 of 8 in the final 3 minutes, to seal the win. The Panthers twice sliced the Cheesemakers' lead to eight points in the final 3 minutes.
"We practice against the press in practice," said Monroe senior Kyleigh Sellnow who scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds and hit 6 of 6 free throws down the stretch. "We have been working on our free throws a lot during practice. It was a critical point. It was good to see everyone make their free throws. There were games earlier in the season where we didn't make our free throws. As the season progresses, we have been making free throws in those key moments."
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason has seen the Cheesemakers play tight games this year where the foul shots were not always automatic.
"It's a situation where we have been either very good or a little shaky," Mathiason said. "It's a situation where you make them and you get a little confidence. The free throws are big."
Monroe senior Kylee Ritschard had a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Brooke McBain added eight points.
Early on, it didn't look like the game would come down to free throw shooting. The Cheesemakers opened the game with an 11-0 first quarter run. Five Monroe players scored during the run and the Cheesemakers grabbed four offensive rebounds. Monroe freshman Taylor Barrett scored on a putback and junior Abbey Foulker scored down low to give the Cheesemakers an 11-0 lead. The Panthers opened the game shooting 0-for-10. The Cheesemakers held the Panthers scoreless for 6 minutes, 18 seconds. Oregon sophomore Maranda Ricker scored on a layup with 1:42 left in the first quarter to snap the scoring drought.
"It's going to be hard to maintain that pace," Mathiason said. "Oregon played hard. Basketball is a game of runs."
The Panthers answered with an 11-2 run that spanned into the second quarter to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 15-11. The Cheesemakers' offense cooled in the second quarter. That's until senior Kristin McArdle and senior Abby Jacobson hit 3-pointers to extend the lead to 21-11. Despite shooting just 22.7 percent (5 of 22) in the first half, the Panthers trailed the Cheesemakers 21-13 at halftime.
The Cheesemakers scored five straight points to start the third quarter, including baskets by Ritschard and McBain. The Cheesemakers led 26-13 after a Ritschard free throw early in the period.
The Panthers answered with six consecutive points. Oregon senior Kali Jahn scored down low. Then Jahn came up with a steal and layup and Ricker scored on a layup after a steal to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 26-19 with 6:13 left in the third quarter.
Ritschard gave Monroe a boost when she knocked down a long 3-pointer from the wing right before the buzzer to give the Cheesemakers a 35-21 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Oregon 6-foot, 1-inch freshman Maddy Gits scored nine points to lead the Panthers.
"Defensively, I thought we were very good tonight," Sellnow said. "It helped us get the win tonight. We helped in the post on their talented freshman."
After a two-point loss to Waunakee and a loss to Milton, Mathiason was excited to see his team pull out a win.
"We try to pride ourselves on defense," Mathiason said. "They did a good job of helping inside on Gits. We played good help defense and did a pretty good job of limiting them to one shot and rebounding. I'm just happy with the way the girls finished."
