MONONA - When your average margin of victory is 21 points, it's hard to imagine how a team will respond when put to a test. The Monroe Cheesemakers passed the test, with a 37-26 win against Monona Grove, which had suffered just one conference loss.

"This is good for us," said Monroe head coach Kevin Keen. "Monona Grove is a good team. They played zone all night and forced us to deal with half-court pressure which we haven't seen much this year."

In a game that featured plenty of defense, senior Ashley Hermanson led a balanced offensive attack with 12 points. Senior Jamie Armstrong and junior Kyleigh Sellnow chipped in with eight points each, while senior Chelsea Brice scored seven points and senior guard Gwen Sutter added two points for Monroe (5-0 Badger South, 11-0 overall).

It was a stellar night for the Cheesemakers' defense as they held the Silver Eagles' top player, Chelsea Schmitz, scoreless through the first three quarters and just five points for the game.

"It was a great effort," Keen said. "Holding them to 10 points at halftime and just 26 for the game is better than our defensive average."

Monroe hosts conference foe Fort Atkinson Friday.