MONROE - Fans often call the postseason "the second season." Call the Lady Cheesemakers overachievers, as they're already entering their third.
"We went into last week looking at a three-game season and it ended with our regional title," head coach Kevin Keen said of his club's 42-32 victory over Dodgeville in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 regional final. "Now it's a two-game season come this week."
The Cheesemaker start the third season at 7 p.m. Thursday in Waunakee.
In order for said campaign to not be chopped in half, Monroe will need to get by one of the finest backcourts in the state in Reedsburg's Tracee Schrank and Anna Walker.
"Walker is a great 3-point shooter and Schrank just keeps improving her entire game," Keen said. "She's a penetration-and-dish player and if the defense sags off her, she'll get the ball into others' hands."
Saturday, the tandem combined for 37 points as Schrank put up nearly half of them, 18, in the first half of a 44-37victory over top-ranked Richland Center.
Last year, the duo led the Beavers to a demanding first-half lead in a regular-season matchup with the Cheesemakers, but was trumped by then-Monroe senior Marissa Young, who single-handedly turned the tide in a 50-39 Monroe victory.
This year, the scoring load has moved from the perimeter to the painted area for Monroe, as sophomores Jamie Armstrong and Ashley Hermanson both average more than 11 points per contest and combined for 24 in Saturday's vengeful victory over the Dodgers.
While Keen again will lean on those two inside to set the tone, he also knows that a handful of more-than-capable perimeter players could make the difference.
"There's no question that with the two of them we've got a strong scoring presence inside, but our perimeters need to give us some balance as they have all year," Keen said.
"It's never one player. Whether Gwen has a good game or Emily's had a few as well, we've been very pleased with players' ability to step up and make plays and we'll need more of that."
The Dodgers were just one of a few teams Monroe has faced that boasts such backcourt prowess, so some training on the job should go a long way.
The team that emerges will face the winner between Lake Mills and Delavan-Darien in the opposite sectional semifinal. The sectional final is at 7 p.m. Saturday at Janesville Craig.
That's a place the Cheesemakers would give anything to reach. Even if it meant missing their favorite "other" team in the state tournament.
"We're big supporters of the boys and the excitement they've generated, but we want to have that excitement come next week and that doesn't happen if we don't focus, do the little things and take care of business," Keen said.
"We went into last week looking at a three-game season and it ended with our regional title," head coach Kevin Keen said of his club's 42-32 victory over Dodgeville in Saturday's WIAA Division 2 regional final. "Now it's a two-game season come this week."
The Cheesemaker start the third season at 7 p.m. Thursday in Waunakee.
In order for said campaign to not be chopped in half, Monroe will need to get by one of the finest backcourts in the state in Reedsburg's Tracee Schrank and Anna Walker.
"Walker is a great 3-point shooter and Schrank just keeps improving her entire game," Keen said. "She's a penetration-and-dish player and if the defense sags off her, she'll get the ball into others' hands."
Saturday, the tandem combined for 37 points as Schrank put up nearly half of them, 18, in the first half of a 44-37victory over top-ranked Richland Center.
Last year, the duo led the Beavers to a demanding first-half lead in a regular-season matchup with the Cheesemakers, but was trumped by then-Monroe senior Marissa Young, who single-handedly turned the tide in a 50-39 Monroe victory.
This year, the scoring load has moved from the perimeter to the painted area for Monroe, as sophomores Jamie Armstrong and Ashley Hermanson both average more than 11 points per contest and combined for 24 in Saturday's vengeful victory over the Dodgers.
While Keen again will lean on those two inside to set the tone, he also knows that a handful of more-than-capable perimeter players could make the difference.
"There's no question that with the two of them we've got a strong scoring presence inside, but our perimeters need to give us some balance as they have all year," Keen said.
"It's never one player. Whether Gwen has a good game or Emily's had a few as well, we've been very pleased with players' ability to step up and make plays and we'll need more of that."
The Dodgers were just one of a few teams Monroe has faced that boasts such backcourt prowess, so some training on the job should go a long way.
The team that emerges will face the winner between Lake Mills and Delavan-Darien in the opposite sectional semifinal. The sectional final is at 7 p.m. Saturday at Janesville Craig.
That's a place the Cheesemakers would give anything to reach. Even if it meant missing their favorite "other" team in the state tournament.
"We're big supporters of the boys and the excitement they've generated, but we want to have that excitement come next week and that doesn't happen if we don't focus, do the little things and take care of business," Keen said.
