GREEN BAY — For the sixth time in history, the Monroe girls basketball brought home hardware from the state tournament, earning the silver ball, Saturday.

The Cheesemakers lost to Beaver Dam 65-46 in the WIAA Division 2 state championship at the Resch Center in Green Bay. The Monroe girls have won three state championships and have placed second three times.

“It was really emotional leaving the court for the last time,” Monroe senior Sydney Hilliard said. “But I am extremely proud of how we played and how we battled. Beaver Dam is one of the toughest teams not only in the state, but in the country.”

Beaver Dam (27-1), ranked 10th nationally by MaxPreps’ Xcellent 25, has six players offered or committed to playing DI college basketball. The Beavers opened the game on an 18-2 run thanks to aggressive defense, early success from the 3-point line, and a slow start offensively for Monroe. The Cheesemakers had seven turnovers and were just 1-for-6 from the field when they found themselves down by 16 seven minutes into the game.

“You know that they’re good, you know that they put a lot of pressure, you try to stay composed — they just speed you up,” Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said. “As they speed you up, all of a sudden, shots that you maybe could knock down don’t go down; you get a turnover because you are a little quicker with your feet than you need to be.”

The Cheesemakers slowly began to chip away at the Beaver Dam’s lead and brought the deficit to 11 by halftime.

Twice early in the second half the Cheesemakers made it a single-digit ball game. But every time it seemed Monroe was ready to break through and change the complexity of the game, the Beavers would hit a big 3-pointer and extend the lead further.

“We would always make a push and then somehow they’d always hit a 3 or something. It’s always tough when they hit a shot after we get on a run,” Hilliard said.

Beaver Dam made 4-of-5 triples right out of the gate in the second half. The Beavers finished 7-for-16 from beyond the arc as a team in the game, while the Cheesemakers were 0-for-8 in three-point attempts.

“Two or three of those 3-pointers [for Beaver Dam] seemed like they were rim-knockers, where they got that friendly roll to go in. If they go that other direction and we get that rebound, you just never know,” Mathiason said. “To be down by 21 points from the 3-point line is a pretty big difference … If some of those don’t go, then there’s that swing. If they happen at the right time, you just never know how that’s going to change the course of the game.”

Hilliard led all scorers with 23 points for Monroe. She finished her career with 1,991 points — the school’s all-time points leader in basketball. Teammate Emily Benzschawel, No. 3 all-time in program history in scoring at 1,221, scored 11 in her final game in a Monroe uniform.

“At the end when we gave each other hugs, we knew that was the last time we’d ever play with each other. It’s hard to think about, but we knew it was coming to an end and we’re glad it ended with a ball,” Benzschawel said.

Emily Benzschawel’s younger sister, Megan, a sophomore, finished with six points and five rebounds before fouling out with 2:49 remaining. It was the final time the sisters would share the court.

“It was bittersweet,” Megan said. “We knew coming here it wouldn’t be easy. Playing with (Emily), you just have to enjoy every moment.”

The Cheesemakers held a firetruck procession into Monroe the following day and a pep rally at the high school.

“I know that these guys are really happy at getting here, happy that they are going to get a medal and that there’s going to be a trophy in the trophy case, and that memory,” Mathiason said.

State semifinal, March 8

Monroe 59, Whitefish Bay 47

To get to the championship, the Cheesemakers had to get past Whitefish Bay (23-4). The Blue Dukes were ranked ahead of Monroe in the state polls prior to the playoffs.

“I’m just so appreciative and so happy that they are going to get that opportunity to enjoy one more day,” Mathiason said of his players after the semifinal. Monroe’s last time in a state championship game was in 2008.

The Blue Dukes started the game hot and led 11-2 after six minutes. Monroe started 0-for-6 from the field and had three turnovers.

Hilliard scored with a hoop and the harm at the 11:20 mark in the first to make it 11-5. After a Whitefish Bay bucket, junior Grace Tostrud knocked down a 3-pointer, and then Hilliard and Emily Benzschawel scored a pair of baskets. Benzschawel added a free throw to cap an 11-2 run that saw Monroe tie the game at 13.

The Cheesemakers still found themselves down by four with 2:35 to play in the half, but Hilliard scored four points and Benzschawel hit a deep 3 and another jump shot. Monroe led 28-26 at halftime.

“I knew our team needed some shots. I was open, so I took it,” said Benzschawel, who hit two NBA-range 3-pointers. “After I hit those shots, I had a lot of energy.”

After halftime, Hilliard came out blazing and scored nine of Monroe’s first 13 points as the Cheesemakers went up 41-30 less than seven minutes in.

“In the first half, I think all of us were just trying to see what they were running defensively, because they were really trying to mix it up a lot,” Hilliard said. “In the second half, I just looked for the open gaps and was being aggressive. I think all of us were being aggressive, and it just happened to work out.”

Monroe twice led by 15 in the second half. The Cheesemakers would also hit 9-of-11 free throws in the game’s final 5:14 of play.

“We were able to break down that zone a little bit and get some good looks,” Mathiason said.

Hilliard scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Cheesemakers, with 14 points coming in the second half. Emily Benzschawel had 19 points and five rebounds, Grace Tostrud finished with seven points, and Megan Benzschawel had six points and eight rebounds. Whitefish Bay senior center Ellie Clements scored 18 points, while Elena Deslongchamps had 15.

Looking ahead to the future

Hilliard and Emily Benzschawel are the only two seniors on the team. Starters Megan Benzschawel, Grace Mathiason and Grace Tostrud all return next season, as does the bench.

“Next year is going to be a different year. But certain people will step up and claim that leadership,” Megan Benzschawel said.

Megan averaged 10.9 points per game on the season, while Tostrud scored 7.4 and Mathiason 4.2. Kayleigh Nesbitt, Sydney Updike and Chloe Bunker saw the most action off the bench all season, while all 11 players saw time in the rotation as the year went on.

Badgers on the court

Hilliard and Beaver Dam senior Tara Stauffacher each committed to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin this past November. Stauffacher, a 5-11 forward, averaged 11.4 points per game this season for the Beavers and led her team in the championship with 15 points, including a 10-for-10 effort from the free throw line. 

“Playing against Tara, she’s a great player. Talking a little bit before the game, giving each other a hard time — all jokes and stuff — but it’s fun playing against her, and I’m excited for next year to have her finally be a teammate of mine,” said Hilliard, who was named as the state’s top senior point guard by the Wisconsin Sports Network prior to the tournament.

Stauffacher made it clear that she is excited to reverse the roles with Hilliard and be teammates instead of opponents.

“As much as, like, we obviously didn’t want (Hilliard) to score, but every time she scored, I was like ‘Yeah, that’s going to be my teammate next year,’ which was a little exciting to see,” Stauffacher said, while trying to playfully backpedal as her bewildered and humored coach Tim Chase looked on. “I want her to do well. It was a lot of fun to play against Sydney.”

Another player in the game, Beaver Dam’s Matyson Wilke, is a highly-recruited sophomore and already has 17 DI college offers, including one from the Badgers.

Wisconsin coach Jonathan Tsipis was in attendance for the title game.