MONROE — Emily Benzschawel didn’t have her best night on the court, but the Cheesemakers rallied together and knocked off Middleton 59-50 in a nonconference game Nov. 27. 

Benzschawel, a senior headed to Lindenwood University next season, picked up three first half fouls and scored only three points in the game — all in the second half. But her teammates stepped up to produce the win.

“A lot of that is that they just have to find their roles and if they make those extra passes there will be some opportunities for people,” Monroe head coach Sam Mathiason said. “We’ve got people that can score and that are threats. Other teams have to honor them. If we continue to share the ball and find those openings, people can contribute in a lot of different ways.”

Monroe had nine of 11 players score in the game and was led by Sydney Hilliard’s 20 points. Hilliard, a unanimous all-state player as a junior last year, had 11 points in the first half and was 8-for-11 from the field in the game.

“I knew they were going to come to play because they wanted to get us back for last year,” Hilliard said.

A year ago, the two teams battled into double-overtime before Monroe won by four. Hilliard was stymied to just six points in that contest, while Benzschawel had 24.

“They are really good, and we knew they would be a tough team to play,” said Monroe sophomore Megan Benzschawel, Emily’s younger sister.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle with neither team getting ahead by more than six points. It appeared the score would be evened up at 28 headed into halftime, but Middleton’s Hannah Flottmeyer scored in a late transition run off a Monroe miss to make it 30-28 Cardinals with 1 second left on the clock.

Opening up the second half, the Cheesemakers brought the intensity right away, reeling off a 15-3 run in the first six minutes to take a 43-33 lead, capped by a Hilliard 3-pointer.

“I thought that first half was back-and-forth and we gave up that cheap one to give up the lead at halftime. Then I think that second half we responded with our defense and our rebounding,” Mathiason said. “We were able to make enough of those extra passes and get those conversions.”

Middleton crept back into the game, getting to within seven points thanks to a stingy press defense. Monroe struggled to get the ball up the court, especially while Hilliard took a short breather. 

“During the press they really started to get to us,” Hilliard said. “We didn’t always flow to the middle, so people were trapped and didn’t know where to pass it. But we got it figured out and made our free throws.”

The Cheesemakers finished 15 of 19 at the charity stripe, including 9 of 11 in the second half.

Monroe also locked down on defense. Middleton’s Sitori Tanin, a 6-2 forward scored just 3 of her 15 points in the second half, while Evie Coleman, a sharpshooting guard, took over the scoring for the Cardinals, accounting for half of her team’s points in the second half.

“We just knew we shouldn’t let (Tanin) touch the ball because she’s a threat in the post,” said Megan Benzschawel, who battled in the post all evening.

Grace Mathiason had 10 points for Monroe while Megan Benzschawel had eight points and Grace Tostrud scored five with eight rebounds.

Monroe (3-0) was scheduled to take on a rebuilding Fort Atkinson in a Badger South game before a nonconference showdown with Morton, Illinois, Saturday at home. 

“Tonight was a battle, but we have to come in tomorrow and do our prep and our work because we have a conference game Thursday. That’s all we can really be concerned about — that we are ready for that conference game,” Coach Mathiason said. “Clearly Morton’s very good — they have a kid that’s signed with Butler and another kid that’s committed to Alabama-Birmingham.”

Last year Morton topped Monroe by a point. Morton’s only losses last season were to the eventual Illinois state champion.

“It’s really good for us” to face Morton, Megan Benzschawel said. “We know what our future competition may bring. It’s good practice for us to play at a faster pace.”