MONROE - A short-handed Monroe girls basketball team looked like they were up for the challenge sparked by senior Briana Katzenberger before Sauk Prairie went on a big third quarter surge to knock off the Cheesemakers 51-40 Tuesday night.
Katzenberger scored 10 of the Cheesemakers' first 12 points in the first quarter. The Cheesemakers hit 7 of their first 8 shots and jumped out to a 12-5 lead. Katzenberger, who scored a team-high 13 points, knocked down two jumpers and scored on two layups during the spurt to lead the Cheesemakers.
The depth for Monroe (1-6, 0-2 Badger South) was tested. The Cheesemakers played without junior leading scorer Taylor Barrett due to a knee injury, senior Heather Barta (ankle) and junior Vanessa Studer (knee). Monroe junior Kirsten Vetterli scored 11 points and junior Chandra McGuire added six points.
"We knew we had to come out strong as a team," Katzenberger said. "We knew it would be difficult without them. I was just really excited. I was hoping we would feed off of that (first quarter) and that would get us going. We just hit a wall in the third quarter."
Sauk Prairie (4-3) went on a 16-0 third quarter run to build a 12-point lead.
"It's never easy," Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said. "It was almost like it was coming so easy in the first quarter. Bri was doing a good job of reading the defense and getting to the basket. It became a little bit more of a struggle in the third quarter. They changed their defense a little and started sagging more into the lane."
Monroe wasn't the only team missing key players. Sauk Prairie played without junior Lindsay Sauer who missed the game due to sickness.
"You will have injuries and sickness in basketball because it's a long season," Mathiason said. "You have to be ready for your opportunity. You have to take advantage of every opportunity you get. Briana and Kirsten (Vetterli) took advantage of their opportunities."
After Vetterli scored down low twice to start the third quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 26-22 lead, that is when the scoring drought hit. The Cheesemakers went 12 straight possessions and about 5 minutes without scoring. Sauk Prairie senior Jorgen Fox hit a jumper and drilled a 3-pointer during the surge to give the Eagles a 31-26 lead. Freshman Ali Roach then knocked down a 3-pointer and had another three-point play with 59 seconds to go in the third quarter to give the Eagles a commanding 38-26 lead.
"It's about finding that consistency and finding out where and at what point the touches and shots will come from," Mathiason said. "We have to continue to make the extra pass and continue to find the consistency on the offensive end."
Vetterli scored down low to start the fourth quarter to snap the cold spell. Junior Ellie Grossen then hit a 3-pointer to cut the Eagles' lead to 38-31. Vetterli grabbed an offensive rebound on her missed free throw and she made a pass to Katzenberger who buried a jumper to cut the Eagles' lead to 41-36 with 6:12 to go in the fourth quarter. That's as close as the Cheesemakers would get. Sauk Prairie junior Georgia Breunig scored on two layups late in the fourth quarter to help the Eagles seal the victory. Fox scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Eagles. Roach added 14 points and Breunig had 13.
"We still made the effort and battled," Mathiason said. We just needed that extra little push. Every possession is important no matter when it happens."
Monroe will play at Stoughton (7-0) on Thursday. Stoughton has a four-year varsity player in senior Tessa Mersberger and two juniors in their third year on the varsity.
"That will be a challenge for us," Mathiason said. "They are playing really well. That will be a tough one."
Katzenberger is looking forward to getting back out on the court to take on Stoughton.
"I think it will be a good matchup," she said. "Whether Taylor or Heather are back or not, we always play hard and try to do our best."
Katzenberger scored 10 of the Cheesemakers' first 12 points in the first quarter. The Cheesemakers hit 7 of their first 8 shots and jumped out to a 12-5 lead. Katzenberger, who scored a team-high 13 points, knocked down two jumpers and scored on two layups during the spurt to lead the Cheesemakers.
The depth for Monroe (1-6, 0-2 Badger South) was tested. The Cheesemakers played without junior leading scorer Taylor Barrett due to a knee injury, senior Heather Barta (ankle) and junior Vanessa Studer (knee). Monroe junior Kirsten Vetterli scored 11 points and junior Chandra McGuire added six points.
"We knew we had to come out strong as a team," Katzenberger said. "We knew it would be difficult without them. I was just really excited. I was hoping we would feed off of that (first quarter) and that would get us going. We just hit a wall in the third quarter."
Sauk Prairie (4-3) went on a 16-0 third quarter run to build a 12-point lead.
"It's never easy," Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said. "It was almost like it was coming so easy in the first quarter. Bri was doing a good job of reading the defense and getting to the basket. It became a little bit more of a struggle in the third quarter. They changed their defense a little and started sagging more into the lane."
Monroe wasn't the only team missing key players. Sauk Prairie played without junior Lindsay Sauer who missed the game due to sickness.
"You will have injuries and sickness in basketball because it's a long season," Mathiason said. "You have to be ready for your opportunity. You have to take advantage of every opportunity you get. Briana and Kirsten (Vetterli) took advantage of their opportunities."
After Vetterli scored down low twice to start the third quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 26-22 lead, that is when the scoring drought hit. The Cheesemakers went 12 straight possessions and about 5 minutes without scoring. Sauk Prairie senior Jorgen Fox hit a jumper and drilled a 3-pointer during the surge to give the Eagles a 31-26 lead. Freshman Ali Roach then knocked down a 3-pointer and had another three-point play with 59 seconds to go in the third quarter to give the Eagles a commanding 38-26 lead.
"It's about finding that consistency and finding out where and at what point the touches and shots will come from," Mathiason said. "We have to continue to make the extra pass and continue to find the consistency on the offensive end."
Vetterli scored down low to start the fourth quarter to snap the cold spell. Junior Ellie Grossen then hit a 3-pointer to cut the Eagles' lead to 38-31. Vetterli grabbed an offensive rebound on her missed free throw and she made a pass to Katzenberger who buried a jumper to cut the Eagles' lead to 41-36 with 6:12 to go in the fourth quarter. That's as close as the Cheesemakers would get. Sauk Prairie junior Georgia Breunig scored on two layups late in the fourth quarter to help the Eagles seal the victory. Fox scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Eagles. Roach added 14 points and Breunig had 13.
"We still made the effort and battled," Mathiason said. We just needed that extra little push. Every possession is important no matter when it happens."
Monroe will play at Stoughton (7-0) on Thursday. Stoughton has a four-year varsity player in senior Tessa Mersberger and two juniors in their third year on the varsity.
"That will be a challenge for us," Mathiason said. "They are playing really well. That will be a tough one."
Katzenberger is looking forward to getting back out on the court to take on Stoughton.
"I think it will be a good matchup," she said. "Whether Taylor or Heather are back or not, we always play hard and try to do our best."
