MONROE — It took a game and a half, but the Cheesemakers finally shook off the rust — and not a moment too soon. After leading Evansville 14-12 at halftime in the WIAA Division 2 playoff opener, the Monroe girls basketball team exploded in the second half, outscoring the Blue Devils 36-11 over the final 18 minutes.

The Cheesemakers (6-3) advanced to the regional semifinal game against top-seeded Jefferson (17-2), which was scheduled for Feb. 12. 

With the upper deck in the gym opened up, and four spectator tickets available per athlete instead of just two for the home team, fans were treated to a rough first half that struggled to find offense from everywhere but Monroe senior Megan Benzschawel. 

“That first half was physical and they were letting it go,” said Monroe coach Patrick Kenny. “We saw a couple baskets come off the rim and a couple of outside shots were open and we couldn’t get them to fall. I’ve got to give credit to Evansville, they mixed some things up on defense and kept us a little confused. We haven’t seen too much 2-3 (zone) out there this season — eight games, though, so we haven’t seen too much of anything.”

As a freshman and sophomore, Benzschawel played a secondary role as her sister, Emily of Lindenwood University, and Sydney Hilliard of Wisconsin led Monroe to state in 2018 and 2019. Megan spent her junior campaign last season as a leader on the court and led the team in points. She entered this season less than 200 from the career milestone of 1,000 points — a formality in most years. But between Monroe’s late start (the final week of December) and the two-week COVID-19 pause that ended just four days before the Evansville game, Megan entered the playoffs 19 off the mark.

“It was worrisome that with the limited games this season and the way things were kind of playing out with being on quarantine and starting out late. The concept of the 1,000 points seemed like it was going to be a formality last month, but then everything hits,” Kenny said. 

However, as shots were missing from both sides in the first half, Benzschawel cleaned up on the boards and scored 12 points in the first half alone. 

“They were a great team and came out physical, and we didn’t match that in the first half, so coming out in the second half we knew we had to pick up the energy and really kick it into gear,” Benzschawel said.

With 7:35 left to play in the second half, Benzschawel buried a 3-pointer to put her team up 17, and put herself over the milestone mark, becoming the sixth player in program history — and 15th in school history — to cross the 1,000-point threshold. 

“It’s surreal, honestly, and I’m just so grateful that I had these teammates and coaches that literally got me there,” Megan said. She plans to hang up her shoes when the season is over, forgoing a potential college career in order to study finance at the University of Wisconsin.

“I think with the rarity of how many players get that opportunity to hit that milestone, it’s just an honor to be her coach. Even being a teammate, I think is quite an honor. I played for I don’t know how many years and I don’t think I played with any 1,000-point scorers, so being able to watch that play out with someone as selfless as Megan … it was awesome,” Kenny said. “It’s really nice to be able to get her that milestone on the home court here in Monroe in front of the fans. That’s what she deserves. She’s worked really hard for that.”

The Cheesemakers themselves had found a groove in that second half. Taylor Jacobson hit a jumper in the opening minute, and Megan drive to the dish 60 seconds later to extend the lead. Lily Bobak then took a steal coast-to-coast on one possession and hit a 3 on the next to make it a 10-point game just over three minutes into the half. In all, Monroe went on a 13-0 run and never let the lead over Evansville (5-14) dip below double digits.

“Shooting is contagious — whether it’s hot or whether it’s cold, that’s for sure. You could tell in that first half Megan wasn’t going to back down from anybody — she was going to push us through and make sure that we’re moving on,” Kenny said. “In that second half, I think once you see the ball go through once you get that monkey off your back and you feed off your teammate’s energy and build confidence as a team. That basket seems to get a little bit bigger each time.”

Benzschawel finished the night with a game-high 25 pints, including a perfect 10-for-10 mark from the free throw line. Jacobson had 8 points. Late in the game, Kenny brought in three junior varsity players to see their first varsity action, and sophomore Sydnee Conway scored the final two buckets of the game for the Cheesemakers.

Monroe enters the weekend with a daunting, albeit it feasible task. Jefferson has a pair of tall post players that can dominate the paint and could give Benzschawel and Breanna Giasson trouble. The Eagles’ guard play is also a strength.

Should the Cheesemakers pull off an upset, either 2-seed Edgerton (16-4) or 6-seed Fort Atkinson (8-14) awaits. Should Fort Atkinson and Monroe — the only two Badger Conference schools in the regional — pull off regional semifinal victories, Monroe would host the regional title game Feb. 13.

“Jefferson has some size, and they’ve got some guards that can shoot. It’s going to be a tough matchup, that’s for sure,” Kenny said.