MONROE - After the Monroe High School boys basketball team's comeback came up short in a shootout 84-77 loss to Dodgeville, coach Pat Murphy considered how much the Dodgers lit up the scoreboard.
"The more our offense has got better our defense has went south," Murphy said. "A lot of it is Dodgeville made plays. It's a credit to them. The WIAA will be happy because they wanted to see more scoring."
Monroe (4-14, 1-8 Badger South) trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half. The Cheesemakers stormed back behind senior Ben Latimer, who scored a game-high and career-high 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
Monroe senior Brent Edmunds drilled a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 32 seconds to go to slice the Dodgers' lead to 76-75. The Cheesemakers looked to set up a trap on the Dodgers' ensuing possession, but Dodgeville senior Jordan Olson got open for a layup with 1:16 left to give the Dodgers a 78-75 lead.
"We tried to trap them, and they hit us with a pass over the top," Murphy said on Olson's layup. "That is the way the season has been going. We have been just a step slow on defense."
Latimer missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with about 53 seconds to go.
"We certainly gave it all we had," Latimer said. "We came out a little slow. Eighty-four points is a lot to give up. Our defense has been down lately. Our goal is to hold teams to under 52 points. If we can do that we are a dangerous team."
The Dodgers made 6 of 8 free throws in the final 41.8 seconds to seal the win.
The Cheesemakers had four players reach double figures. In addition to Latimer, junior Carter Sawdey added 12 points and junior Alex Tordoff had 11 points. Edmunds chipped in 10 points.
Dodgeville senior Trent Jones scored a team-high 28 points.
The Dodgers opened the game with a 21-8 run. Olson scored seven points during the surge.
After trailing 25-10, the Cheesemakers mounted a comeback. Monroe sophomore David Keegan hit a
3-pointer to cut the Dodgers' lead to 29-20. Keegan's
3-pointer fueled a 26-9 run. Latimer drilled two 3-pointers to cut the Dodgers' lead to
34-30 with 2:07 left. Tordoff converted a three-point play to cut the Dodgers' lead to 36-33 with 1:35 to go. Latimer scored on a putback and Sawdey hit 1 of 2 free throws with 45.7 seconds remaining to tie the game at 36.
Jones scored 18 of his team-high 28 in the first half to help the Dodgers hang on to a 38-36 lead at the break. Dodgeville shot 56 percent in the first half (14 of 25 and finished the game at 52.9 percent (27 of 51). The Dodgers were also 18 of 22 from the free-throw line.
Olson knocked down a 3-pointer and Jones converted a three-point play to start the second half to help the Dodgers take a 44-36 lead.
Dodgeville 6-foot-6 sophomore Bryce Prochaska picked up his fourth foul with 11:44 left in the second half and was forced to the bench. The Cheesemakers limited Prochaska to four points.
The Cheesemakers climbed back into the game when Edmunds hit a 3-pointer to cut the Dodgers' lead to 55-53 with 11:10 left. Sawdey knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 68 with 4:37 to go, but that is as close as the Cheesemakers would get.
Olson scored 21 points, and Dodgeville senior Jordan Larson added 13 points.
"We talked about how you get blitzed so much early on," Murphy said. "Their big guy didn't do anything, and they still beat us. That is how dangerous of a team they are going into the tournament."
"The more our offense has got better our defense has went south," Murphy said. "A lot of it is Dodgeville made plays. It's a credit to them. The WIAA will be happy because they wanted to see more scoring."
Monroe (4-14, 1-8 Badger South) trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half. The Cheesemakers stormed back behind senior Ben Latimer, who scored a game-high and career-high 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
Monroe senior Brent Edmunds drilled a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 32 seconds to go to slice the Dodgers' lead to 76-75. The Cheesemakers looked to set up a trap on the Dodgers' ensuing possession, but Dodgeville senior Jordan Olson got open for a layup with 1:16 left to give the Dodgers a 78-75 lead.
"We tried to trap them, and they hit us with a pass over the top," Murphy said on Olson's layup. "That is the way the season has been going. We have been just a step slow on defense."
Latimer missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with about 53 seconds to go.
"We certainly gave it all we had," Latimer said. "We came out a little slow. Eighty-four points is a lot to give up. Our defense has been down lately. Our goal is to hold teams to under 52 points. If we can do that we are a dangerous team."
The Dodgers made 6 of 8 free throws in the final 41.8 seconds to seal the win.
The Cheesemakers had four players reach double figures. In addition to Latimer, junior Carter Sawdey added 12 points and junior Alex Tordoff had 11 points. Edmunds chipped in 10 points.
Dodgeville senior Trent Jones scored a team-high 28 points.
The Dodgers opened the game with a 21-8 run. Olson scored seven points during the surge.
After trailing 25-10, the Cheesemakers mounted a comeback. Monroe sophomore David Keegan hit a
3-pointer to cut the Dodgers' lead to 29-20. Keegan's
3-pointer fueled a 26-9 run. Latimer drilled two 3-pointers to cut the Dodgers' lead to
34-30 with 2:07 left. Tordoff converted a three-point play to cut the Dodgers' lead to 36-33 with 1:35 to go. Latimer scored on a putback and Sawdey hit 1 of 2 free throws with 45.7 seconds remaining to tie the game at 36.
Jones scored 18 of his team-high 28 in the first half to help the Dodgers hang on to a 38-36 lead at the break. Dodgeville shot 56 percent in the first half (14 of 25 and finished the game at 52.9 percent (27 of 51). The Dodgers were also 18 of 22 from the free-throw line.
Olson knocked down a 3-pointer and Jones converted a three-point play to start the second half to help the Dodgers take a 44-36 lead.
Dodgeville 6-foot-6 sophomore Bryce Prochaska picked up his fourth foul with 11:44 left in the second half and was forced to the bench. The Cheesemakers limited Prochaska to four points.
The Cheesemakers climbed back into the game when Edmunds hit a 3-pointer to cut the Dodgers' lead to 55-53 with 11:10 left. Sawdey knocked down a 3-pointer to tie the game at 68 with 4:37 to go, but that is as close as the Cheesemakers would get.
Olson scored 21 points, and Dodgeville senior Jordan Larson added 13 points.
"We talked about how you get blitzed so much early on," Murphy said. "Their big guy didn't do anything, and they still beat us. That is how dangerous of a team they are going into the tournament."
