FREEPORT - With no time on the clock and Monroe clinging to a one-point lead, Freeport senior Walter Hayward was fouled.
Hayward, who was playing in the Snack Bowl game with a broken nose, tossed his mask to the Freeport bench and then sank two pressure-packed free throws to give the Pretzels a thrilling 40-39 win over the Cheesemakers in a Snack Bowl game Saturday. It appeared like the clock had expired on Hayward's last-second shot he was fouled on.
"I thought it was probably the right call because you go by the horn and I didn't hear the horn," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "People got their money's worth. I feel bad for our guys. Freeport has had our number. We have to get better at free throws and turnovers. We have to find a way to close out games."
Freeport is 7-2 against Monroe the last nine years. Monroe (2-8, 1-4 Badger South) led by six points with less than 2 minutes to go. The Cheesemakers made just 3 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and missed four one-and-one free throw opportunities in the final 1 minute squandering a chance to extend the lead and close out the Pretzels.
"We were really bad," said Monroe junior Carter Sawdey of the Cheesemakers' free-throw shooting. "I just feel really bad right now. We didn't capitalize on what we could have done. We just have to learn how to close out games. They (Freeport) just made plays than we did."
Sawdey scored a game-high 15 points and the Cheesemakers made the defensive plays down the stretch to win. Sawdey blocked a shot with 28 seconds to go to preserve a one-point lead. Freeport senior Demetri Offard scored on a layup with 12.2 seconds left to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 39-38. Monroe senior Alex Tordoff drew a charge on Offard in the final 10 seconds. Tordoff and Monroe sophomore Hunter Ward each added seven points.
Early on, it looked like the Pretzels (6-10) would run away from the Cheesemakers. Freeport went on an 18-8 run in the first quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Cheesemakers clamped down on the Pretzels in the second quarter. The Pretzels went on a scoreless streak of more than 8 minutes as the Cheesemakers outscored them 10-0 to tie the game at 18 at the half.
Ward helped the Cheesemakers stay within striking distance in the second half. Ward drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game at 30 with 2:34 left in the third quarter. About midway through the fourth quarter, Ward knocked down a jumper to give the Cheesemakers a 35-33 lead.
It's a lead the Cheesemakers held on to until the clock expired on the dramatic last-second foul.
"There are two ways this can go," Murphy said of the Cheesemakers' season. "You could give up or you can keep fighting."
The Cheesemakers committed 15 turnovers, which was an improvement compared to their game against another pressure team in Monona Grove which forced Monroe into 24 turnovers.
"Our goal is 10 or less," Murphy said of the turnovers. "The thing about sports is there is always something you can get better at."
Hayward, who was playing in the Snack Bowl game with a broken nose, tossed his mask to the Freeport bench and then sank two pressure-packed free throws to give the Pretzels a thrilling 40-39 win over the Cheesemakers in a Snack Bowl game Saturday. It appeared like the clock had expired on Hayward's last-second shot he was fouled on.
"I thought it was probably the right call because you go by the horn and I didn't hear the horn," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "People got their money's worth. I feel bad for our guys. Freeport has had our number. We have to get better at free throws and turnovers. We have to find a way to close out games."
Freeport is 7-2 against Monroe the last nine years. Monroe (2-8, 1-4 Badger South) led by six points with less than 2 minutes to go. The Cheesemakers made just 3 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter and missed four one-and-one free throw opportunities in the final 1 minute squandering a chance to extend the lead and close out the Pretzels.
"We were really bad," said Monroe junior Carter Sawdey of the Cheesemakers' free-throw shooting. "I just feel really bad right now. We didn't capitalize on what we could have done. We just have to learn how to close out games. They (Freeport) just made plays than we did."
Sawdey scored a game-high 15 points and the Cheesemakers made the defensive plays down the stretch to win. Sawdey blocked a shot with 28 seconds to go to preserve a one-point lead. Freeport senior Demetri Offard scored on a layup with 12.2 seconds left to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 39-38. Monroe senior Alex Tordoff drew a charge on Offard in the final 10 seconds. Tordoff and Monroe sophomore Hunter Ward each added seven points.
Early on, it looked like the Pretzels (6-10) would run away from the Cheesemakers. Freeport went on an 18-8 run in the first quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Cheesemakers clamped down on the Pretzels in the second quarter. The Pretzels went on a scoreless streak of more than 8 minutes as the Cheesemakers outscored them 10-0 to tie the game at 18 at the half.
Ward helped the Cheesemakers stay within striking distance in the second half. Ward drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game at 30 with 2:34 left in the third quarter. About midway through the fourth quarter, Ward knocked down a jumper to give the Cheesemakers a 35-33 lead.
It's a lead the Cheesemakers held on to until the clock expired on the dramatic last-second foul.
"There are two ways this can go," Murphy said of the Cheesemakers' season. "You could give up or you can keep fighting."
The Cheesemakers committed 15 turnovers, which was an improvement compared to their game against another pressure team in Monona Grove which forced Monroe into 24 turnovers.
"Our goal is 10 or less," Murphy said of the turnovers. "The thing about sports is there is always something you can get better at."
