MONROE - Senior point guard Kylan Helmeid knew the Monroe boys basketball team playing back-to-back games for the first time this season against Beaver Dam would be a challenge.
Beaver Dam looked a step quicker in running away with a 50-33 win over the Cheesemakers in a non-conference game Saturday, Dec. 28.
"We didn't have the legs," Helmeid said. "We can't use that as an excuse. Come tournament time we have to be able to play back-to-back. They passed it 10 or 12 times and found a guy down low every time. They passed it exceptionally."
Beaver Dam (3-6) scored 12 points on six layups in the second half. The Beavers were unselfish, always looking to make the extra pass.
"Our guys were trying," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "It's not like we just rolled over. That is just how bad they made us look at times."
The Beavers used an 11-0 run in the first quarter sparked by three 3-pointers to surge ahead of the Cheesemakers (3-5, 1-2 Badger South).
"They (Beaver Dam) did what they wanted to do from the get-go," Murphy said. "They hit threes and free throws. When you pass the ball around 10 to 12 times I don't know what else they could do. I didn't see this coming. I watched them a couple of times on tape and they didn't show that. They were on a mission."
Monroe senior Charlie Kind scored 10 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Cheesemakers. Kind scored down low and converted a three-point play on a pass from Helmeid to cut the Beavers' lead to 13-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Beavers used a 2-3 zone to limit the Cheesemakers from driving inside. Helmeid scored eight points and had six rebounds and senior Jake Hirsbrunner added six points. Senior Noah Tostrud had six rebounds.
The loss may have come at a cost for the Cheesemakers as 6 foot 6 senior Noah Thompson suffered a knee injury in the first half and didn't return. Murphy didn't want to speculate if Thompson had an ACL injury.
"We don't know what the extent of the injury is," Murphy said. "We are waiting for the swelling to go down. It obviously didn't look good. You never know when it can be over."
The Beavers broke the game open with a 15-5 run in the third quarter. Beaver Dam senior Brett Ferstl drilled a 3-pointer and sophomore Sam Wiersma scored on a layup at 6:46 to give the Beavers a 27-15 lead. Wiersma scored on a layup and a runner in the lane and sophomore Tyler Mahnke hit a 3-pointer to give the Beavers a 34-19 lead. Wiersma helped close the third quarter with a layup to give the Beavers a 39-22 lead.
"We wanted to get some points in transition," Murphy said. "It comes down to the defensive end and getting some stops. If you can't get stops and are always taking the ball out of the net, they (Beaver Dam) can get back and set up."
The Cheesemakers looked to make a run in the fourth quarter. Hirsbrunner came up with a steal and layup to start the fourth quarter and was fouled. He made the free throw to convert the conventional three-point play and Helmeid answered with a traditional three-point play to slice the Beavers' lead to 39-28 with 6:35 to go, but that is as close as the Cheesemakers would get.
"I thought we had a lot of momentum going after Jake and I had those three-point plays," Helmeid said. "We then took a couple of quick shots they got the rebounds. We fouled and they made their free throws. We just didn't pull it out."
Beaver Dam junior Matt Berg scored on a layup, which was his second of the game with 3:36 left to give the Beavers a 44-30 lead. The Beavers led by as many as 20 points in the second half.
"It's not the way we wanted to end 2013," Murphy said.
Beaver Dam looked a step quicker in running away with a 50-33 win over the Cheesemakers in a non-conference game Saturday, Dec. 28.
"We didn't have the legs," Helmeid said. "We can't use that as an excuse. Come tournament time we have to be able to play back-to-back. They passed it 10 or 12 times and found a guy down low every time. They passed it exceptionally."
Beaver Dam (3-6) scored 12 points on six layups in the second half. The Beavers were unselfish, always looking to make the extra pass.
"Our guys were trying," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "It's not like we just rolled over. That is just how bad they made us look at times."
The Beavers used an 11-0 run in the first quarter sparked by three 3-pointers to surge ahead of the Cheesemakers (3-5, 1-2 Badger South).
"They (Beaver Dam) did what they wanted to do from the get-go," Murphy said. "They hit threes and free throws. When you pass the ball around 10 to 12 times I don't know what else they could do. I didn't see this coming. I watched them a couple of times on tape and they didn't show that. They were on a mission."
Monroe senior Charlie Kind scored 10 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Cheesemakers. Kind scored down low and converted a three-point play on a pass from Helmeid to cut the Beavers' lead to 13-9 at the end of the first quarter. The Beavers used a 2-3 zone to limit the Cheesemakers from driving inside. Helmeid scored eight points and had six rebounds and senior Jake Hirsbrunner added six points. Senior Noah Tostrud had six rebounds.
The loss may have come at a cost for the Cheesemakers as 6 foot 6 senior Noah Thompson suffered a knee injury in the first half and didn't return. Murphy didn't want to speculate if Thompson had an ACL injury.
"We don't know what the extent of the injury is," Murphy said. "We are waiting for the swelling to go down. It obviously didn't look good. You never know when it can be over."
The Beavers broke the game open with a 15-5 run in the third quarter. Beaver Dam senior Brett Ferstl drilled a 3-pointer and sophomore Sam Wiersma scored on a layup at 6:46 to give the Beavers a 27-15 lead. Wiersma scored on a layup and a runner in the lane and sophomore Tyler Mahnke hit a 3-pointer to give the Beavers a 34-19 lead. Wiersma helped close the third quarter with a layup to give the Beavers a 39-22 lead.
"We wanted to get some points in transition," Murphy said. "It comes down to the defensive end and getting some stops. If you can't get stops and are always taking the ball out of the net, they (Beaver Dam) can get back and set up."
The Cheesemakers looked to make a run in the fourth quarter. Hirsbrunner came up with a steal and layup to start the fourth quarter and was fouled. He made the free throw to convert the conventional three-point play and Helmeid answered with a traditional three-point play to slice the Beavers' lead to 39-28 with 6:35 to go, but that is as close as the Cheesemakers would get.
"I thought we had a lot of momentum going after Jake and I had those three-point plays," Helmeid said. "We then took a couple of quick shots they got the rebounds. We fouled and they made their free throws. We just didn't pull it out."
Beaver Dam junior Matt Berg scored on a layup, which was his second of the game with 3:36 left to give the Beavers a 44-30 lead. The Beavers led by as many as 20 points in the second half.
"It's not the way we wanted to end 2013," Murphy said.
