MONROE - With alumni in the crowd and the TC Campion Alumni basketball tournament set for this weekend, the Monroe boys basketball team gave the fans something to cheer about with a big surge to knock off Beloit Memorial 59-48 Friday night.
"TC would have wanted them to play very hard," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of Monsignor Thomas Campion, who died in 2010. "They had a quote up in the locker room before the game, 'Refuse to lose.' They all stepped up."
Monroe senior Joe Latimer scored 18 points and had nine rebounds to lead the Cheesemakers. Latimer picked up his fourth foul at the start of the fourth quarter and was forced to the bench. Senior Trent Wyssbrod, who scored all 13 of his points in the second half, drilled a 3-pointer that he was fouled on to spark a 15-4 Cheesemakers' run. Wyssbrod converted the four-point play with 5 minutes, 15 seconds left to give the Cheesemakers a 44-38 lead.
Monroe junior Kylan Helmeid also delivered, scoring seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter, including knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:52 to go to give the Cheesemakers a 51-42 lead.
Monroe played without senior Alex Barenklau, who is battling a knee bruise, and overcame Latimer's foul trouble.
"They don't care who is scoring," Murphy said of his team. "We have 11 guys for a reason. You never know when you will get an opportunity. We try to feed the hot hand."
Helmeid was excited to get the opportunity.
"I was just like all right, 'it's not over,'" Helmeid said of his 3-pointer. "It gave us more of a cushion. We had to play good defense and the offense would come. We knew with Joe in foul trouble we had to step up. I knew I had to be strong with the ball. Klau (Alex Barenklau) is a beast. I can't wait to get him back."
Junior Jake Hirsbrunner also hit a clutch 3-pointer to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 55-42 during the surge. The Cheesemakers helped their own cause by hitting 14 of 16 free throws in the second half.
"I had my worries before the game because they are a larger school," Latimer said. "I think it feels great to start 2-0."
Latimer remained confident, even after he was forced to the bench due to foul trouble.
"If you look at our bench, there is no one with their warm-ups on," he said. "Everyone contributes. If I get in foul trouble, people will come in and I will cheer them on and hopefully they will do as good as I did."
Early on, the game had the makings of one that may go down to the wire. The largest lead for either team in the first three quarters was six points by the Purple Knights, after they went on a 13-4 run to start the third quarter. Beloit Memorial junior Andre Neal, who scored a game-high 19 points, scored on a layup and converted a three-point play to start the third period. Beloit Memorial's Denzel Barnes scored down low about midway through the third to give the Purple Knights a 28-22 lead.
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to slice the lead after Latimer scored on a putback and was fouled with 4:14 to go in the third quarter. He converted the three-point play at the foul line to cut the Purple Knights' lead to 28-25. Latimer scored on a putback and senior Brian Schneider and Wyssbrod both hit jumpers to give the Cheesemakers a 34-32 lead at the end of the third. Schneider added 11 points.
"I think we did a really good job of rebounding in the second half," Murphy said. "I think we made a conscious effort in practice to rebound. There is not a lot of difference between teams. A lot of times it's a half a step or who wants it more. We have guys who want to compete and play. That's all you can ask for as a coach. We still have to keep working to get better."
Monroe will host Baraboo in a non-conference game on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
Murphy said he's not sure if Barenklau will be available for the game against the Thunderbirds.
"That's why we have a team," he said.
"TC would have wanted them to play very hard," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of Monsignor Thomas Campion, who died in 2010. "They had a quote up in the locker room before the game, 'Refuse to lose.' They all stepped up."
Monroe senior Joe Latimer scored 18 points and had nine rebounds to lead the Cheesemakers. Latimer picked up his fourth foul at the start of the fourth quarter and was forced to the bench. Senior Trent Wyssbrod, who scored all 13 of his points in the second half, drilled a 3-pointer that he was fouled on to spark a 15-4 Cheesemakers' run. Wyssbrod converted the four-point play with 5 minutes, 15 seconds left to give the Cheesemakers a 44-38 lead.
Monroe junior Kylan Helmeid also delivered, scoring seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter, including knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:52 to go to give the Cheesemakers a 51-42 lead.
Monroe played without senior Alex Barenklau, who is battling a knee bruise, and overcame Latimer's foul trouble.
"They don't care who is scoring," Murphy said of his team. "We have 11 guys for a reason. You never know when you will get an opportunity. We try to feed the hot hand."
Helmeid was excited to get the opportunity.
"I was just like all right, 'it's not over,'" Helmeid said of his 3-pointer. "It gave us more of a cushion. We had to play good defense and the offense would come. We knew with Joe in foul trouble we had to step up. I knew I had to be strong with the ball. Klau (Alex Barenklau) is a beast. I can't wait to get him back."
Junior Jake Hirsbrunner also hit a clutch 3-pointer to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 55-42 during the surge. The Cheesemakers helped their own cause by hitting 14 of 16 free throws in the second half.
"I had my worries before the game because they are a larger school," Latimer said. "I think it feels great to start 2-0."
Latimer remained confident, even after he was forced to the bench due to foul trouble.
"If you look at our bench, there is no one with their warm-ups on," he said. "Everyone contributes. If I get in foul trouble, people will come in and I will cheer them on and hopefully they will do as good as I did."
Early on, the game had the makings of one that may go down to the wire. The largest lead for either team in the first three quarters was six points by the Purple Knights, after they went on a 13-4 run to start the third quarter. Beloit Memorial junior Andre Neal, who scored a game-high 19 points, scored on a layup and converted a three-point play to start the third period. Beloit Memorial's Denzel Barnes scored down low about midway through the third to give the Purple Knights a 28-22 lead.
It didn't take the Cheesemakers long to slice the lead after Latimer scored on a putback and was fouled with 4:14 to go in the third quarter. He converted the three-point play at the foul line to cut the Purple Knights' lead to 28-25. Latimer scored on a putback and senior Brian Schneider and Wyssbrod both hit jumpers to give the Cheesemakers a 34-32 lead at the end of the third. Schneider added 11 points.
"I think we did a really good job of rebounding in the second half," Murphy said. "I think we made a conscious effort in practice to rebound. There is not a lot of difference between teams. A lot of times it's a half a step or who wants it more. We have guys who want to compete and play. That's all you can ask for as a coach. We still have to keep working to get better."
Monroe will host Baraboo in a non-conference game on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
Murphy said he's not sure if Barenklau will be available for the game against the Thunderbirds.
"That's why we have a team," he said.
