MONROE - According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an "anomaly" is something that is a deviation from the common rule - or an irregularity. So then maybe Watertown should change its nickname from the Goslings to the Anomalies.
Watertown is a middle-of-the-road team that is playing in its first season in the Badger South. Despite that, Monroe coach Brian Bassett has watched countless hours of film and has never seen the Goslings (9-11, 7-5) shoot to such a high percentage against any other team in two games.
"They only ever do that to us," a frustrated Bassett said after Monroe's 57-45 loss to Watertown Friday.
The Goslings went through a 9-minute stretch where they hit 10 of 16 shots (62.5 percent), seven of which were 3-pointers. Watertown shot 8 of 11 from beyond the arc in the first half, and hit just three 2-point shots. According to Bassett, in the first contest between the two teams on Jan. 9, Watertown was 7 of 8 from 3 in the first half.
"It was really frustrating," Monroe senior Brayden Zettle said. "They've become one of biggest rivals already because of the first game, and they just got here."
The Cheesemakers (12-9, 7-6) didn't help their own cause much, going through a 12-minute stretch in the first half without a field goal and finishing just 4 of 22 from the field (18.1 percent).
"We were ice cold because we refused to (shoot) it like we do in practice," Bassett said in frustration. "We do things a certain way in practice, and then all of a sudden, the last two games we decided to switch what we do."
Monroe trailed by as much as 23 with a score of 33-10 with 1:56 left in the first but were able to close the frame on a 6-0 run to make it 33-16 at the break.
"When you don't make free throws you just kill yourself. We were 5 of 13 in the first half from the free throw line. They are free. Even if you make five more, you're 10 out of 13 and its 33-21 at half," Bassett said. "Then it doesn't feel like you're way down."
At halftime, the Cheesemakers did some soul searching in the locker room.
"It was embarrassing," Monroe junior Kade King said. "We don't want to get embarrassed by 20 points at halftime. This is a team I think we should beat handily. Coach fired us up a little bit, but we had just dug ourselves a really big hole."
Whitewater opened the second half with a pair of baskets, but then the Cheesemakers went on an 18-9 run to bring the deficit back to 13 with 6:23 left in the game.
"We've had games like this - we just had to stay persistent, stay the course. We know our shots will fall," Zettle said.
After a basket by Brayden Zettle, the Goslings changed up their game plan - running a stall offense. The Monroe defenders tried getting the occasional trap, but Watertown's guard skirted away from traffic and cleanly passed the ball over and over and over again. To that point in the half Monroe was sitting on just three team fouls, but Watertown's stall ate up 2 minutes, 56 seconds on a single possession. That possession ended after Monroe finally forced the Goslings to the free throw line after four fouls.
"We're too slow to (trap) with certain people on the floor. It was frustrating because I was telling the guys on the bench exactly what they were doing. They would turn their backs to us, and when they do that you've got to be able to - basketball IQ wise - sneak around and poke it from behind," Bassett said. "(Watertown) knew what we wanted to do, we just couldn't do it. I think we were out of gas at the end."
Trailing by 15 points with just under 3:27 left in the game, the Cheesemakers desperately tried to mount a comeback. David Keegan scored off of a rebound deep in the post and Noah Tostrud found Zettle for a deep 3 to make it a 10-point game with 2:34 remaining.
The Goslings hit 7 of 9 free throws in the final 2:08 of the game to seal the win.
Zettle led Monroe in scoring with 17 points and King had 16. No other player scored more than 5. Monroe was 12-23 in the game from the free throw line with just three 3s and 15 total field goals. Whitewater had 10 3s total in the game, and 18 total field goals. The Goslings were 11 of 16 from the line in all. Watertown was led by Alec Lauersdorf, who had 18 points off the bench on six 3s. Cade Oiler had 12.
"Kade is open every time down the floor and we've got to be able to read it. That's the frustrating thing. He's on pace to be the all-time single-season scoring percentage leader, and to not throw him the ball is something we've got to figure out how to fix," Bassett said. "I've got to get (King) and Max Lange on the floor together. They do a great job of finding each other. And that's going to be one of the adjustments for sure."
The Cheesemakers now have just one game left - Senior Night at home on Feb. 22 against Milton (0-19, 0-11). Watertown has Oregon (8-11, 5-6) and Edgewood (7-13, 4-8) left on the schedule. A loss would give the Cheesemakers a tie with Watertown for third place in the conference.
"We've got a long weekend now before Milton. We just have to come out on Senior Night ready to go," Zettle said.
Watertown is a middle-of-the-road team that is playing in its first season in the Badger South. Despite that, Monroe coach Brian Bassett has watched countless hours of film and has never seen the Goslings (9-11, 7-5) shoot to such a high percentage against any other team in two games.
"They only ever do that to us," a frustrated Bassett said after Monroe's 57-45 loss to Watertown Friday.
The Goslings went through a 9-minute stretch where they hit 10 of 16 shots (62.5 percent), seven of which were 3-pointers. Watertown shot 8 of 11 from beyond the arc in the first half, and hit just three 2-point shots. According to Bassett, in the first contest between the two teams on Jan. 9, Watertown was 7 of 8 from 3 in the first half.
"It was really frustrating," Monroe senior Brayden Zettle said. "They've become one of biggest rivals already because of the first game, and they just got here."
The Cheesemakers (12-9, 7-6) didn't help their own cause much, going through a 12-minute stretch in the first half without a field goal and finishing just 4 of 22 from the field (18.1 percent).
"We were ice cold because we refused to (shoot) it like we do in practice," Bassett said in frustration. "We do things a certain way in practice, and then all of a sudden, the last two games we decided to switch what we do."
Monroe trailed by as much as 23 with a score of 33-10 with 1:56 left in the first but were able to close the frame on a 6-0 run to make it 33-16 at the break.
"When you don't make free throws you just kill yourself. We were 5 of 13 in the first half from the free throw line. They are free. Even if you make five more, you're 10 out of 13 and its 33-21 at half," Bassett said. "Then it doesn't feel like you're way down."
At halftime, the Cheesemakers did some soul searching in the locker room.
"It was embarrassing," Monroe junior Kade King said. "We don't want to get embarrassed by 20 points at halftime. This is a team I think we should beat handily. Coach fired us up a little bit, but we had just dug ourselves a really big hole."
Whitewater opened the second half with a pair of baskets, but then the Cheesemakers went on an 18-9 run to bring the deficit back to 13 with 6:23 left in the game.
"We've had games like this - we just had to stay persistent, stay the course. We know our shots will fall," Zettle said.
After a basket by Brayden Zettle, the Goslings changed up their game plan - running a stall offense. The Monroe defenders tried getting the occasional trap, but Watertown's guard skirted away from traffic and cleanly passed the ball over and over and over again. To that point in the half Monroe was sitting on just three team fouls, but Watertown's stall ate up 2 minutes, 56 seconds on a single possession. That possession ended after Monroe finally forced the Goslings to the free throw line after four fouls.
"We're too slow to (trap) with certain people on the floor. It was frustrating because I was telling the guys on the bench exactly what they were doing. They would turn their backs to us, and when they do that you've got to be able to - basketball IQ wise - sneak around and poke it from behind," Bassett said. "(Watertown) knew what we wanted to do, we just couldn't do it. I think we were out of gas at the end."
Trailing by 15 points with just under 3:27 left in the game, the Cheesemakers desperately tried to mount a comeback. David Keegan scored off of a rebound deep in the post and Noah Tostrud found Zettle for a deep 3 to make it a 10-point game with 2:34 remaining.
The Goslings hit 7 of 9 free throws in the final 2:08 of the game to seal the win.
Zettle led Monroe in scoring with 17 points and King had 16. No other player scored more than 5. Monroe was 12-23 in the game from the free throw line with just three 3s and 15 total field goals. Whitewater had 10 3s total in the game, and 18 total field goals. The Goslings were 11 of 16 from the line in all. Watertown was led by Alec Lauersdorf, who had 18 points off the bench on six 3s. Cade Oiler had 12.
"Kade is open every time down the floor and we've got to be able to read it. That's the frustrating thing. He's on pace to be the all-time single-season scoring percentage leader, and to not throw him the ball is something we've got to figure out how to fix," Bassett said. "I've got to get (King) and Max Lange on the floor together. They do a great job of finding each other. And that's going to be one of the adjustments for sure."
The Cheesemakers now have just one game left - Senior Night at home on Feb. 22 against Milton (0-19, 0-11). Watertown has Oregon (8-11, 5-6) and Edgewood (7-13, 4-8) left on the schedule. A loss would give the Cheesemakers a tie with Watertown for third place in the conference.
"We've got a long weekend now before Milton. We just have to come out on Senior Night ready to go," Zettle said.
