MONROE — The Cheesemakers started slow but took care of business Jan. 23, defeating Fort Atkinson 63-38.

“I think a part of it was just kind of weathering the storm, for lack of a better term,” Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said.

Monroe struggled to find a consistent offensive presence early on and the Blackhawks had the game tied at 10 four minutes into the game. In fact, a quick 10-2 run by Fort Atkinson put the Cheesemakers down six with 12 minutes to play in the first half.

“They (Fort) are young — a freshman and three sophomores start. They are scrappy. It’s not always a thing of beauty, but they are going to play hard. It took a little while to get settled,” Mathiason said. Fort Atkinson hasn’t won a Badger South Conference game since Dec. 17, 2015.

Monroe picked up the slack defensively. After allowing 16 points over the first six minutes of the game, the Cheesemakers (6-6, 4-3 Badger South) allowed Fort Atkinson (3-10, 0-7) just four points over the next 12 minutes and went into halftime with a 31-20 lead. 

“Last time we played them we got down by even more in the beginning,” said Emma Towne, Monroe’s senior point guard. “We were struggling with their screens at times and we weren’t hitting our shots. That was our big issue. Once we finally settled down and got our feet under us when we shot, it kind of came easier to get into the flow of things.”

Grace Tostrud had nine points in the first half, six of which came on a perfect streak at the free throw line. Megan Benzschawel added five points, while Towne was the happy scoring surprise with eight points, including a pair of big 3-pointers.

“I think it was almost intimidating with them being back so far, almost like, ‘Why are they letting me shoot it?’ That one shot just kicked it in,” Towne said.

Monroe’s defense held up in the second half, never letting Fort Atkinson sniff a return into the balance of the game.

While Tostrud and Towne hit early 3s and Benzschawel added six points in the post, it was Grace Mathiason and Taylor Jacobson that led the way on offense. Mathiason, a senior, scored 11 of her 13 points in the second half, and Jacobson scored all seven of her points in the game in the spot.

“I feel like I’m just gaining confidence over time. During the game there’s a point where I just settle in,” said Jacobson, who was 3 for 7 from the field with a 3-pointer, two steals and five assists.

Benzschawel and Towne each finished with 11 points, while Tostrud had 12 in the contest. Tostrud added two blocks, six steals and 10 rebounds to mark a double-double, while Benzschawel had nine boards and six assists. Chloe Bunker finished with nine points, three assists and four points.

“If we can balance that scoring, that makes everything a whole lot easier and we don’t have to worry about having one person do too much. When we can do that, I think we are at our best,” coach Mathiason said. “Defensively, to hold them to 38 points, I’m pretty happy with that. They’ve been putting up some more points against other people, so I was glad to see us limit them like that.”

Jacobson is the lone underclassman on Monroe’s varsity roster. At times she shows glimpses of a wealth of talent, while at others she’s as cautious as any other freshman playing up on varsity.

“It was really different at first, but I’m really starting to settle in,” Jacobson said of playing varsity. “The girls have been really nice to me, which helps.”

Towne also has a new role this year. After graduating two four-year starting guards to college ball, Monroe has limited options to run the point, and Towne has stepped up to fill the void.

“I’m getting used to it (new responsibilities). I was really nervous at the beginning of the season, but as the year has progressed, I’ve learned to be a lot more comfortable with it,” said Towne.