MONROE - Sometimes, size and speed are the biggest differences in a basketball game.
In the Cheesemakers' 57-26 blowout win Tuesday over Platteville (3-3, 1-1 Southwest Wisconsin), it was no different.
Monroe, ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and WisHoops.net Coaches polls, boasts two players over 6 feet tall, brought heavy pressure on defense from the start and worked the ball into the paint early and often to stake a big lead.
Jamie Armstrong, one of Monroe's twin towers in the post, scored the team's first six points.
Platteville, which doesn't have a player listed in its program as taller than 5-10, got on the board just more than three minutes into the game, but the Cheesemakers (9-0, 6-0 Badger South) cruised from there. Kyleigh Sellnow and Kylee Ritschard each hit a 3-pointer, Chelsea Brice hit two shots, and Armstrong added another as Monroe burst to an 18-2 lead.
The Cheese's other twin tower, Ashley Hermanson, got on the board in the final minute of the opening frame as Monroe opened up a 20-4 lead on the Hillman before the second quarter started.
"I thought we were better defensively tonight," head coach Kevin Keen said. "That first quarter was really big for us, keeping them to four points. We brought a lot of intensity."
The game stayed on course in the second quarter. The Cheesemakers enlarged their advantage to 29-4 before Platteville scored. Playing all 13 players on his roster, Keen's crew maintained a steady offense and stifling defense throughout the rest of the half.
"We got a chance to play a lot of kids, which is good," Keen said. "It's good to get everybody involved. It's tough for people to get into a flow offensively when we're rotating people in and out like that, but it's a good team win."
The Hillmen got a shining moment as time expired in the first half, as senior forward Elizabeth Klar scored on a putback as time expired going into the break.
In the second half, the Cheesemakers mixed up their lineups - putting starters and subs on the court together to see how well they meshed in action. Though Keen said all his players played well, Sommer Bertalot, a senior forward, took advantage of opportunities on both offense and defense. Bertalot recorded several rebounds and steals, while hitting two open jumpers in the second half.
"Sommer Bertalot took advantage of some opportunities tonight, and I was glad to see her do that," Keen said.
Monroe pulled off much of its defensive full-court pressure in the fourth quarter. Leading 45-19 headed into the final fram, the Cheesemakers ran their offense in preparation for the rest of the season.
"After the holidays, this was kind of a good way to kind of ease back into the season," Keen said. "We've got some tough games coming up."
Armstrong finished the contest with a game-high 16 points in limited action. Hermanson scored eight points and Sellnow and Brice added six apiece. In all, 10 Cheesemakers penciled their name into the scorebook.
Monroe will spend the rest of the week preparing for Badger North foe Sauk Prairie (6-2, 3-2).
In the Cheesemakers' 57-26 blowout win Tuesday over Platteville (3-3, 1-1 Southwest Wisconsin), it was no different.
Monroe, ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and WisHoops.net Coaches polls, boasts two players over 6 feet tall, brought heavy pressure on defense from the start and worked the ball into the paint early and often to stake a big lead.
Jamie Armstrong, one of Monroe's twin towers in the post, scored the team's first six points.
Platteville, which doesn't have a player listed in its program as taller than 5-10, got on the board just more than three minutes into the game, but the Cheesemakers (9-0, 6-0 Badger South) cruised from there. Kyleigh Sellnow and Kylee Ritschard each hit a 3-pointer, Chelsea Brice hit two shots, and Armstrong added another as Monroe burst to an 18-2 lead.
The Cheese's other twin tower, Ashley Hermanson, got on the board in the final minute of the opening frame as Monroe opened up a 20-4 lead on the Hillman before the second quarter started.
"I thought we were better defensively tonight," head coach Kevin Keen said. "That first quarter was really big for us, keeping them to four points. We brought a lot of intensity."
The game stayed on course in the second quarter. The Cheesemakers enlarged their advantage to 29-4 before Platteville scored. Playing all 13 players on his roster, Keen's crew maintained a steady offense and stifling defense throughout the rest of the half.
"We got a chance to play a lot of kids, which is good," Keen said. "It's good to get everybody involved. It's tough for people to get into a flow offensively when we're rotating people in and out like that, but it's a good team win."
The Hillmen got a shining moment as time expired in the first half, as senior forward Elizabeth Klar scored on a putback as time expired going into the break.
In the second half, the Cheesemakers mixed up their lineups - putting starters and subs on the court together to see how well they meshed in action. Though Keen said all his players played well, Sommer Bertalot, a senior forward, took advantage of opportunities on both offense and defense. Bertalot recorded several rebounds and steals, while hitting two open jumpers in the second half.
"Sommer Bertalot took advantage of some opportunities tonight, and I was glad to see her do that," Keen said.
Monroe pulled off much of its defensive full-court pressure in the fourth quarter. Leading 45-19 headed into the final fram, the Cheesemakers ran their offense in preparation for the rest of the season.
"After the holidays, this was kind of a good way to kind of ease back into the season," Keen said. "We've got some tough games coming up."
Armstrong finished the contest with a game-high 16 points in limited action. Hermanson scored eight points and Sellnow and Brice added six apiece. In all, 10 Cheesemakers penciled their name into the scorebook.
Monroe will spend the rest of the week preparing for Badger North foe Sauk Prairie (6-2, 3-2).
