MADISON - Sometimes an offense has to establish a rhythm to shine. In Saturday's boys basketball Badger Challenge championship between Waunakee and Monroe, neither team could get into a groove.
Both teams were whistled for 50 combined fouls, but it was the Warriors who took control of the game at the most crucial time - the fourth quarter.
"It is kind of hard (to find a rhythm) with all the things that were going on with the bleeding and - we're not going to make excuses - the reffing, and their pressing," senior guard Bryan Tordoff said after Monroe's 55-40 loss. The game was also delayed on four separate occasions due to blood on the floor. "We'll work on it, we'll study the tape and get better."
The Cheesemakers (12-1) came into the game ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll in Division 2 and No. 3 in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll. Waunakee (12-0, No. 3 AP/No. 2 WisSports.net) brings a roster of size to which the Cheesemakers are not used to seeing. The Warriors, whose football team has won back-to-back state titles, are tall, long and strong.
"You just have to keep pushing back. The harder they push, the harder you have to push," Monroe junior forward Austin Burandt said. "It's kind of funny to go against people who are the same size as me but twice as fast. It all comes down to heart and they had more heart tonight."
Monroe, the leader of the Badger South, held control throughout much of the game, but could never get into enough of a rhythm on offense to put the Badger North-leading Warriors away.
"I didn't mind that (the slow pace), because we've really preached the fundamental work," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said. "I'd rather have no rhythm than the other way where you have a team that's that much more physical than you."
The Cheesemakers held a 36-34 lead as the clock was winding down in the third quarter, but Waunakee's Zak Hougland scored on a putback as time expired.
"We got caught off balance a little bit and they got some rebounds on us," Murphy said. "One of our goals is to win the fourth quarter and we just got pounded in the fourth."
Rebounding had been a problem in the second half for the Cheesemakers and Hougland's score sparked the one run Waunakee needed.
With both teams in the bonus for the entire fourth quarter, it was the Warriors that took advantage. Waunakee went to the free-throw line 12 times in the fourth quarter, compared to Monroe's four, and converted on 10 freebies.
"We didn't box out and we didn't play defense. Those were things we knew we had to do," Tordoff said. "We have to do those all four quarters and we didn't do that in the last quarter."
Between clutch shots and free throws, Waunakee reeled off a 14-0 run to open the fourth. The Warriors also kept the Cheesemakers to one-shot possessions and used a pressure-filled press that included traps to keep Monroe scoreless in the fourth until the 2 minute, 58 second mark.
"Those guys are pretty big, but we should have handled it better than we did. We were working against it all week against 7-8-9 guys, breaking the press," Tordoff said. "Obviously we can't simulate their size but we should have handled it better."
Monroe's top two scorers - Tordoff, who had a team-high 15 points, and Michael Barrett (13 points) - couldn't hit the shots down the stretch to lift their team back.
Waunakee had three players in double figures: Jacob Soper had a game-high 16 points, Hougland had 15 and Beau Murray added 14. Waunakee also finished 23 of 32 from the charity stripe thanks to the Cheesemakers' 28 fouls. Monroe was just 13 of 21 from the line overall in the game.
"To play that hard for three quarters, it's an empty feeling," Murphy said.
Monroe has no time to sulk, as the Cheesemakers get back into the action tonight at home against Elkhorn (6-7).
"We have to keep getting better. We can't take anything for granted," Burandt said.
Both teams were whistled for 50 combined fouls, but it was the Warriors who took control of the game at the most crucial time - the fourth quarter.
"It is kind of hard (to find a rhythm) with all the things that were going on with the bleeding and - we're not going to make excuses - the reffing, and their pressing," senior guard Bryan Tordoff said after Monroe's 55-40 loss. The game was also delayed on four separate occasions due to blood on the floor. "We'll work on it, we'll study the tape and get better."
The Cheesemakers (12-1) came into the game ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll in Division 2 and No. 3 in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll. Waunakee (12-0, No. 3 AP/No. 2 WisSports.net) brings a roster of size to which the Cheesemakers are not used to seeing. The Warriors, whose football team has won back-to-back state titles, are tall, long and strong.
"You just have to keep pushing back. The harder they push, the harder you have to push," Monroe junior forward Austin Burandt said. "It's kind of funny to go against people who are the same size as me but twice as fast. It all comes down to heart and they had more heart tonight."
Monroe, the leader of the Badger South, held control throughout much of the game, but could never get into enough of a rhythm on offense to put the Badger North-leading Warriors away.
"I didn't mind that (the slow pace), because we've really preached the fundamental work," Monroe head coach Pat Murphy said. "I'd rather have no rhythm than the other way where you have a team that's that much more physical than you."
The Cheesemakers held a 36-34 lead as the clock was winding down in the third quarter, but Waunakee's Zak Hougland scored on a putback as time expired.
"We got caught off balance a little bit and they got some rebounds on us," Murphy said. "One of our goals is to win the fourth quarter and we just got pounded in the fourth."
Rebounding had been a problem in the second half for the Cheesemakers and Hougland's score sparked the one run Waunakee needed.
With both teams in the bonus for the entire fourth quarter, it was the Warriors that took advantage. Waunakee went to the free-throw line 12 times in the fourth quarter, compared to Monroe's four, and converted on 10 freebies.
"We didn't box out and we didn't play defense. Those were things we knew we had to do," Tordoff said. "We have to do those all four quarters and we didn't do that in the last quarter."
Between clutch shots and free throws, Waunakee reeled off a 14-0 run to open the fourth. The Warriors also kept the Cheesemakers to one-shot possessions and used a pressure-filled press that included traps to keep Monroe scoreless in the fourth until the 2 minute, 58 second mark.
"Those guys are pretty big, but we should have handled it better than we did. We were working against it all week against 7-8-9 guys, breaking the press," Tordoff said. "Obviously we can't simulate their size but we should have handled it better."
Monroe's top two scorers - Tordoff, who had a team-high 15 points, and Michael Barrett (13 points) - couldn't hit the shots down the stretch to lift their team back.
Waunakee had three players in double figures: Jacob Soper had a game-high 16 points, Hougland had 15 and Beau Murray added 14. Waunakee also finished 23 of 32 from the charity stripe thanks to the Cheesemakers' 28 fouls. Monroe was just 13 of 21 from the line overall in the game.
"To play that hard for three quarters, it's an empty feeling," Murphy said.
Monroe has no time to sulk, as the Cheesemakers get back into the action tonight at home against Elkhorn (6-7).
"We have to keep getting better. We can't take anything for granted," Burandt said.
