MONROE - In a tune-up before the regional tournament starts, the Monroe girls basketball team knocked off a pesky Milton team 83-76 Thursday to finish a repeat Badger South Conference championship season - this time unbeaten.
Monroe junior point guard Sydney Hilliard scored a game-high 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had two steals to lead the Cheesemakers to the win in the regular season finale. Monroe (20-2, 14-0 Badger South) received a No. 1 seed in the WIAA Division 2 Sun Prairie sectional and received a first-round bye in the regional. The Cheesemakers will host the winner of Portage and Sauk Prairie in a regional semifinal Feb. 23.
"It feels great to not only be conference champions, but to go undefeated in conference," Hilliard said. "It's really special. It's something you dream of coming into the season. I'm really proud of my team."
The Cheesemakers led by as many as 20 points in the second half. Monroe coach Sam Mathiason went to his bench and had five seniors on the court for one stretch late in the second half on Senior Night. The Red Hawks closed the game with a 16-3 run. Mathiason brought the starters back into the game with 45.2 seconds to go after Milton sophomore Abbey Falk scored on a layup to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 80-76.
Monroe made 3 of 6 free throws in the final 40 seconds to preserve the victory.
"I really wanted to give the seniors the opportunity to play together," Mathiason said of the late stretch in the second half. In some games you get an uncomfortable feeling and you have to be able to respond. I thought we did that tonight. They (Milton) kept attacking and got a few baskets to go in. Milton wasn't going to go away and they made a late push."
The Cheesemakers had great balance with four players in double figures. Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud drilled four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Senior Sydney Mathiason added 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds and freshman Megan Benzschawel chipped in 10 points. The Cheesemakers hit 12 3-pointers.
"We always have to know if we keep shooting eventually they will start falling," Sydney Mathiason said. "We got some great stops on defense and we were able to get out and run."
Hilliard had the hot hand early on, scoring the team's first nine points to give the Cheesemakers a 9-5 lead. Milton sophomore Abbie Campion hit a 3-pointer that gave the Red Hawks' their biggest lead of the game, 23-17 with 7 minutes, 24 seconds to go in the first half. Monroe responded by going on a 17-4 run. Hilliard drove in for a layup to spark the run. Mathiason knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers a 26-25 lead with 5:22 to go.
"I think in that stretch we did a really good job of playing defense and they missed some shots," Sam Mathiason said."
Junior Emily Benzschawel and Mathiason drilled 3s sandwiched around a layup by Hilliard that gave the Cheesemakers a 38-30 lead with 2:41 to go. Monroe sophomore Grace Mathiason gave Monroe a lift knocking down a 3-pointer and scoring seven points in the first half to help the Cheesemakers take a 43-35 lead at the break.
"Even though we got down we battled back and we got the win," Hilliard said.
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to get on a roll in the second half. Monroe senior Rachel Meier buried two 3s and Tostrud hit a 3 to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 50-37. Milton senior Kailey Harbort carried the Red Hawks, keeping them within striking distance for a while scoring 13 of her team-high 16 points in the second half.
With Milton playing a zone, Monroe's lead snowballed to 20 points after Tostrud knocked down a 3 and Sydney Mathiason scored in the paint with about 9 minutes left in regulation. That set the stage for the finish.
Clinching an outright conference championship is a big accomplishment for Monroe. The Cheesemakers are looking to make a second straight run to the state tournament in Green Bay.
"I feel like we went out there every game and gave it our best and we came out on top," Sydney Mathiason said. "It feels really good to be conference champions and we just want to keep playing."
Monroe junior point guard Sydney Hilliard scored a game-high 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had two steals to lead the Cheesemakers to the win in the regular season finale. Monroe (20-2, 14-0 Badger South) received a No. 1 seed in the WIAA Division 2 Sun Prairie sectional and received a first-round bye in the regional. The Cheesemakers will host the winner of Portage and Sauk Prairie in a regional semifinal Feb. 23.
"It feels great to not only be conference champions, but to go undefeated in conference," Hilliard said. "It's really special. It's something you dream of coming into the season. I'm really proud of my team."
The Cheesemakers led by as many as 20 points in the second half. Monroe coach Sam Mathiason went to his bench and had five seniors on the court for one stretch late in the second half on Senior Night. The Red Hawks closed the game with a 16-3 run. Mathiason brought the starters back into the game with 45.2 seconds to go after Milton sophomore Abbey Falk scored on a layup to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 80-76.
Monroe made 3 of 6 free throws in the final 40 seconds to preserve the victory.
"I really wanted to give the seniors the opportunity to play together," Mathiason said of the late stretch in the second half. In some games you get an uncomfortable feeling and you have to be able to respond. I thought we did that tonight. They (Milton) kept attacking and got a few baskets to go in. Milton wasn't going to go away and they made a late push."
The Cheesemakers had great balance with four players in double figures. Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud drilled four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Senior Sydney Mathiason added 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds and freshman Megan Benzschawel chipped in 10 points. The Cheesemakers hit 12 3-pointers.
"We always have to know if we keep shooting eventually they will start falling," Sydney Mathiason said. "We got some great stops on defense and we were able to get out and run."
Hilliard had the hot hand early on, scoring the team's first nine points to give the Cheesemakers a 9-5 lead. Milton sophomore Abbie Campion hit a 3-pointer that gave the Red Hawks' their biggest lead of the game, 23-17 with 7 minutes, 24 seconds to go in the first half. Monroe responded by going on a 17-4 run. Hilliard drove in for a layup to spark the run. Mathiason knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers a 26-25 lead with 5:22 to go.
"I think in that stretch we did a really good job of playing defense and they missed some shots," Sam Mathiason said."
Junior Emily Benzschawel and Mathiason drilled 3s sandwiched around a layup by Hilliard that gave the Cheesemakers a 38-30 lead with 2:41 to go. Monroe sophomore Grace Mathiason gave Monroe a lift knocking down a 3-pointer and scoring seven points in the first half to help the Cheesemakers take a 43-35 lead at the break.
"Even though we got down we battled back and we got the win," Hilliard said.
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to get on a roll in the second half. Monroe senior Rachel Meier buried two 3s and Tostrud hit a 3 to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 50-37. Milton senior Kailey Harbort carried the Red Hawks, keeping them within striking distance for a while scoring 13 of her team-high 16 points in the second half.
With Milton playing a zone, Monroe's lead snowballed to 20 points after Tostrud knocked down a 3 and Sydney Mathiason scored in the paint with about 9 minutes left in regulation. That set the stage for the finish.
Clinching an outright conference championship is a big accomplishment for Monroe. The Cheesemakers are looking to make a second straight run to the state tournament in Green Bay.
"I feel like we went out there every game and gave it our best and we came out on top," Sydney Mathiason said. "It feels really good to be conference champions and we just want to keep playing."
