MONROE - Tyler Barta and the Monroe boys basketball team put on a shooting display in the first half and then survived a second half rally to knock off Portage 54-45 in a non-conference game Tuesday night.
Monroe (2-0) went on a 19-2 run that spanned from the first quarter into the second. The Cheesemakers came out hot and hit their first four shots and were 7 of 10 shooting. Monroe senior Austin Burandt started the run by banking in a shot in the first quarter. Barta, who scored 14 points and made four of the Cheesemakers' eight 3-pointers, drilled a 3-pointer and Brian Schneider hit a jumper and a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers a 12-2 lead.
The run snowballed with Monroe junior Trent Wyssbrod and Barta hitting 3-pointers.
"It felt like I had a great rhythm," Barta said. "I wasn't forcing it. I was just shooting it when I was open and the shots were going down. We all played great together as a team."
Portage whittled down the 17-point deficit by going on a 12-2 second-quarter run. Portage sophomore Adam Considine hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key early in the third quarter to trim the Cheesemakers' lead to 24-19.
Considine hit a 3-pointer with 2 minutes, 2 seconds to go in the fourth quarter that cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 45-38. Schneider answered with a layup and Wyssbrod, who scored a game-high 16 points, drilled a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 35-23 lead.
The Cheesemakers made 8 of 11 free throws in the final 2 minutes.
"We made some free throws when it mattered," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "It's nice to get a win against a good Badger North team like Portage. It's still a work in progress."
Wyssbrod made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 30 seconds.
"I didn't feel any pressure," Wyssbrod said of shooting free throws in the fourth quarter to preserve the lead. "It's just shooting a free throw like you do in practice. Everyone came out ready to play and we got it to the guys who were hot and they score."
Barta wasn't concerned when the Warriors cut the Cheesemakers' lead to five points in the second half.
"I don't care what the score is. I just play the game. I know if I battle through it, we can come right back."
Schneider scored nine points and junior Alex Barenklau added eight.
"I don't want to say that we relaxed, but we may have let our guard down," Murphy said of the Warriors' comeback.
Monroe will play its first Badger South Conference game at Oregon on Saturday. The Cheesemakers have won five straight conference championships.
"We have to win all of our home games and half of our road games in the conference and hopefully we will be right in the thick of it."
Monroe (2-0) went on a 19-2 run that spanned from the first quarter into the second. The Cheesemakers came out hot and hit their first four shots and were 7 of 10 shooting. Monroe senior Austin Burandt started the run by banking in a shot in the first quarter. Barta, who scored 14 points and made four of the Cheesemakers' eight 3-pointers, drilled a 3-pointer and Brian Schneider hit a jumper and a 3-pointer to give the Cheesemakers a 12-2 lead.
The run snowballed with Monroe junior Trent Wyssbrod and Barta hitting 3-pointers.
"It felt like I had a great rhythm," Barta said. "I wasn't forcing it. I was just shooting it when I was open and the shots were going down. We all played great together as a team."
Portage whittled down the 17-point deficit by going on a 12-2 second-quarter run. Portage sophomore Adam Considine hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key early in the third quarter to trim the Cheesemakers' lead to 24-19.
Considine hit a 3-pointer with 2 minutes, 2 seconds to go in the fourth quarter that cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 45-38. Schneider answered with a layup and Wyssbrod, who scored a game-high 16 points, drilled a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 35-23 lead.
The Cheesemakers made 8 of 11 free throws in the final 2 minutes.
"We made some free throws when it mattered," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "It's nice to get a win against a good Badger North team like Portage. It's still a work in progress."
Wyssbrod made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 30 seconds.
"I didn't feel any pressure," Wyssbrod said of shooting free throws in the fourth quarter to preserve the lead. "It's just shooting a free throw like you do in practice. Everyone came out ready to play and we got it to the guys who were hot and they score."
Barta wasn't concerned when the Warriors cut the Cheesemakers' lead to five points in the second half.
"I don't care what the score is. I just play the game. I know if I battle through it, we can come right back."
Schneider scored nine points and junior Alex Barenklau added eight.
"I don't want to say that we relaxed, but we may have let our guard down," Murphy said of the Warriors' comeback.
Monroe will play its first Badger South Conference game at Oregon on Saturday. The Cheesemakers have won five straight conference championships.
"We have to win all of our home games and half of our road games in the conference and hopefully we will be right in the thick of it."
