MONROE - Monroe High School senior Lexi Hilliard knows that shooting and making baskets can be contagious, and she helped the Cheesemakers catch the point-producing bug in the second half Friday.
Hilliard scored 13 points to power Monroe to a comeback 66-49 win over Oregon in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal game.
After shooting 21.2 percent in the first half, the Cheesemakers blitzed the Panthers with a 19-2 second-half run to take a 12-point lead. Hilliard drilled three 3-pointers during the surge that was sparked by a pressure defense that forced the Panthers into 22 turnovers.
"It was relieving and exciting," Hilliard said. "It got the team going. Once someone starts making shots it's contagious. It gave me hope. I knew our team could do it. Usually, we struggle with our shots in the first half. We come out and make more of our shots in the second half."
Second-seeded Monroe (18-3) advances to host third-seeded DeForest (15-8) in a Division 2 regional championship game at 7 p.m. today. The last time the Cheesemakers won a regional title was 2010.
The Cheesemakers caught fire in the second half, shooting a blistering 76.4 percent (11 of 17). The run was kick-started by back-to-back 3-pointers by Hilliard to erase a five-point halftime deficit and give the Cheesemakers a 27-26 lead. Monroe poured it on from there. Sophomore Emily Benzschawel scored on a layup. Then, in a highlight-reel play, Benzschawel came up with a steal and saved the ball and passed it over her head to Sydney Hilliard, who scored on a layup and was fouled. She made the free throw to convert the three-point play and extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 34-26 with 15 minutes, 50 seconds left. Junior Sydney Mathiason knocked down a 3-pointer, and Lexi Hilliard hit a 3-pointer to give Monroe a 40-28 lead.
"Once she (Lexi) made those two 3-pointers everyone really picked up their play defensively and offensively," said Sydney Hilliard, who scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had four steals. "Everyone was a lot more confident in their shooting. Our defense turned into offense, and we got some easy buckets."
Mathiason added 13 points and had nine rebounds. Benzschawel finished with 13 points and three steals. Senior Jordan Hirsbrunner chipped in four points and had three steals.
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason was proud with the patience the Cheesemakers showed in the second half and their defensive performance.
"We were able to get some turnovers and able to play in transition," Mathiason said. "They had to come out and play man more, and it gave us some openings to drive. The kids made some shots and there was a little more bounce in their step. It was great for the girls to start making some shots and stick with it. They were bound to go in. The kids just kept working, and I have to be proud of their effort."
Early on, it looked like it may be Oregon's night to spring an upset over second-seeded Monroe. The Cheesemakers were 0-for-10 shooting in about the first 5 minutes, and Oregon junior Ellen McCorkle's 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Panthers a 5-0 lead. Oregon led by seven points after senior Danica Keisling's layup at 8:56 gave the Panthers a 13-6 lead.
The Cheesemakers rallied when Sydney Hilliard's three-point play cut the Panthers' lead to 13-11 with 7:56 left. Moments later, Mathiason hit a jumper to tie the game at 13. Mathiason later had a three-point play that tied the game at 19. However, the Panthers answered with senior Katie Uhl knocking down a 3-pointer and a McCorkle layup before the halftime buzzer for a 26-21 lead.
"I think we took some good shots in the first half, and they just didn't go in," Sam Mathiason said.
That set the stages for the Cheesemakers second-half surge. Monroe led by 23 points in the second half after Benzschawel scored on a layup set up by Sydney Hilliard's steal that gave the Cheesemakers a 58-35 lead with 5 minutes to go.
The Cheesemakers shot 76.9 percent from the free-throw line (20 of 26).
"It's exciting to know that we got to the line 26 times, and we shot that percentage," Mathiason said. "There are some games we don't have that many attempts."
It's a short turnaround for Monroe to gear up for DeForest.
"It will be a tough game," Sydney Hilliard said. "I'm sure with our tempo and defense it will be a fun game to watch."
Hilliard scored 13 points to power Monroe to a comeback 66-49 win over Oregon in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal game.
After shooting 21.2 percent in the first half, the Cheesemakers blitzed the Panthers with a 19-2 second-half run to take a 12-point lead. Hilliard drilled three 3-pointers during the surge that was sparked by a pressure defense that forced the Panthers into 22 turnovers.
"It was relieving and exciting," Hilliard said. "It got the team going. Once someone starts making shots it's contagious. It gave me hope. I knew our team could do it. Usually, we struggle with our shots in the first half. We come out and make more of our shots in the second half."
Second-seeded Monroe (18-3) advances to host third-seeded DeForest (15-8) in a Division 2 regional championship game at 7 p.m. today. The last time the Cheesemakers won a regional title was 2010.
The Cheesemakers caught fire in the second half, shooting a blistering 76.4 percent (11 of 17). The run was kick-started by back-to-back 3-pointers by Hilliard to erase a five-point halftime deficit and give the Cheesemakers a 27-26 lead. Monroe poured it on from there. Sophomore Emily Benzschawel scored on a layup. Then, in a highlight-reel play, Benzschawel came up with a steal and saved the ball and passed it over her head to Sydney Hilliard, who scored on a layup and was fouled. She made the free throw to convert the three-point play and extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 34-26 with 15 minutes, 50 seconds left. Junior Sydney Mathiason knocked down a 3-pointer, and Lexi Hilliard hit a 3-pointer to give Monroe a 40-28 lead.
"Once she (Lexi) made those two 3-pointers everyone really picked up their play defensively and offensively," said Sydney Hilliard, who scored a game-high 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had four steals. "Everyone was a lot more confident in their shooting. Our defense turned into offense, and we got some easy buckets."
Mathiason added 13 points and had nine rebounds. Benzschawel finished with 13 points and three steals. Senior Jordan Hirsbrunner chipped in four points and had three steals.
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason was proud with the patience the Cheesemakers showed in the second half and their defensive performance.
"We were able to get some turnovers and able to play in transition," Mathiason said. "They had to come out and play man more, and it gave us some openings to drive. The kids made some shots and there was a little more bounce in their step. It was great for the girls to start making some shots and stick with it. They were bound to go in. The kids just kept working, and I have to be proud of their effort."
Early on, it looked like it may be Oregon's night to spring an upset over second-seeded Monroe. The Cheesemakers were 0-for-10 shooting in about the first 5 minutes, and Oregon junior Ellen McCorkle's 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Panthers a 5-0 lead. Oregon led by seven points after senior Danica Keisling's layup at 8:56 gave the Panthers a 13-6 lead.
The Cheesemakers rallied when Sydney Hilliard's three-point play cut the Panthers' lead to 13-11 with 7:56 left. Moments later, Mathiason hit a jumper to tie the game at 13. Mathiason later had a three-point play that tied the game at 19. However, the Panthers answered with senior Katie Uhl knocking down a 3-pointer and a McCorkle layup before the halftime buzzer for a 26-21 lead.
"I think we took some good shots in the first half, and they just didn't go in," Sam Mathiason said.
That set the stages for the Cheesemakers second-half surge. Monroe led by 23 points in the second half after Benzschawel scored on a layup set up by Sydney Hilliard's steal that gave the Cheesemakers a 58-35 lead with 5 minutes to go.
The Cheesemakers shot 76.9 percent from the free-throw line (20 of 26).
"It's exciting to know that we got to the line 26 times, and we shot that percentage," Mathiason said. "There are some games we don't have that many attempts."
It's a short turnaround for Monroe to gear up for DeForest.
"It will be a tough game," Sydney Hilliard said. "I'm sure with our tempo and defense it will be a fun game to watch."
