MCFARLAND - Monroe junior Sydney Mathiason scored a team-high 19 points and made three 3-pointers to propel the Cheesemakers to a 62-57 win over McFarland on Friday.
Mathiason drilled a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 50 seconds to go to give the Cheesemakers a 57-50 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Monroe (2-0) led by 10 points in the first five minutes of the second half. The Cheesemakers' lead slipped away as they went through a scoring drought that included nine possessions without a basket.
McFarland came back to take a 48-46 lead, but Monroe sophomore Sydney Hilliard scored and was fouled. She converted the conventional three-point play by knocking down the free throw to give the Cheesemakers a 50-48 lead with 3:51 to go.
"We had to come back and make plays on the offensive and defensive end," Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said. "We had to get stops to get that win. When we are in a close game again we will feel prepared and confident we will make the plays down the stretch."
Hilliard scored 17 points and sophomore teammate Emily Benzschawel added 15 points.
The Cheesemakers shot an uncharacteristic 8 of 22 from the free throw line and went through a long scoring drought in the second half.
"We didn't expect to shoot like that on free throws," Mathiason said. "Different games will be like that."
Mathiason also didn't expect a cold spell that lasted nine possessions.
"We had good shots," he said. "We were just not able to make them. To score 62 points against a zone we feel pretty good because they (McFarland) tried to slow the game down with that zone."
Monroe will play its first home game and conference game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday against Madison Edgewood.
Mathiason drilled a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 50 seconds to go to give the Cheesemakers a 57-50 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Monroe (2-0) led by 10 points in the first five minutes of the second half. The Cheesemakers' lead slipped away as they went through a scoring drought that included nine possessions without a basket.
McFarland came back to take a 48-46 lead, but Monroe sophomore Sydney Hilliard scored and was fouled. She converted the conventional three-point play by knocking down the free throw to give the Cheesemakers a 50-48 lead with 3:51 to go.
"We had to come back and make plays on the offensive and defensive end," Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said. "We had to get stops to get that win. When we are in a close game again we will feel prepared and confident we will make the plays down the stretch."
Hilliard scored 17 points and sophomore teammate Emily Benzschawel added 15 points.
The Cheesemakers shot an uncharacteristic 8 of 22 from the free throw line and went through a long scoring drought in the second half.
"We didn't expect to shoot like that on free throws," Mathiason said. "Different games will be like that."
Mathiason also didn't expect a cold spell that lasted nine possessions.
"We had good shots," he said. "We were just not able to make them. To score 62 points against a zone we feel pretty good because they (McFarland) tried to slow the game down with that zone."
Monroe will play its first home game and conference game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday against Madison Edgewood.
