MONONA - Junior Sydney Mathiason faked a handoff to a teammate and then drove in for a layup with 4.4 seconds to go to lift the Monroe High School girls basketball team to a thrilling 60-59 win over Monona Grove on Friday.
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason took a timeout with 9 seconds to go and the Cheesemakers down by one point. He set up a sideline inbound play with an option for Sydney Mathiason to hand off the ball on the play.
"They jumped it (handoff to Sydney Hilliard) hard," Sam Mathiason said. "She made a spin and drove into the lane for the layup. It's a play we have been working on. In the end you have to be ready and have plays like that you can go to."
Monroe (10-1, 6-0 Badger South), ranked fourth in the Associated Press Division 2 state poll, remained unbeaten atop the conference.
Monroe sophomore Emily Benzschawel scored a team-high 17 points. She was one of four players in double figures for the Cheesemakers. Sydney Hilliard added 15 points, and senior Lexi Hilliard and Sydney Mathiason each had 11 points.
The lead changed hands three times in the final 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Sydney Hilliard scored in the lane to give the Cheesemakers a 56-55 lead with 2:30 left. Sydney Mathiason hit two free throws to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 58-55. Monona Grove senior Maddie Kneubuehl scored a basket down low to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 58-57 with 50 seconds to go. Kneubuehl scored in the lane to give the Silver Eagles a short-lived 59-58 lead with 25 seconds to go. That set the stage for the drama on the final play.
"I'm proud of the way we competed and finished," Mathiason said. "Part of it is the experience some of them have had for one, two or three years."
Monona Grove sophomore McKenna Warnock scored a game-high 30 points.
"She's a very skilled and very good player," Mathiason said of Warnock. "She has a knack for scoring."
Monroe coach Sam Mathiason took a timeout with 9 seconds to go and the Cheesemakers down by one point. He set up a sideline inbound play with an option for Sydney Mathiason to hand off the ball on the play.
"They jumped it (handoff to Sydney Hilliard) hard," Sam Mathiason said. "She made a spin and drove into the lane for the layup. It's a play we have been working on. In the end you have to be ready and have plays like that you can go to."
Monroe (10-1, 6-0 Badger South), ranked fourth in the Associated Press Division 2 state poll, remained unbeaten atop the conference.
Monroe sophomore Emily Benzschawel scored a team-high 17 points. She was one of four players in double figures for the Cheesemakers. Sydney Hilliard added 15 points, and senior Lexi Hilliard and Sydney Mathiason each had 11 points.
The lead changed hands three times in the final 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Sydney Hilliard scored in the lane to give the Cheesemakers a 56-55 lead with 2:30 left. Sydney Mathiason hit two free throws to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 58-55. Monona Grove senior Maddie Kneubuehl scored a basket down low to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 58-57 with 50 seconds to go. Kneubuehl scored in the lane to give the Silver Eagles a short-lived 59-58 lead with 25 seconds to go. That set the stage for the drama on the final play.
"I'm proud of the way we competed and finished," Mathiason said. "Part of it is the experience some of them have had for one, two or three years."
Monona Grove sophomore McKenna Warnock scored a game-high 30 points.
"She's a very skilled and very good player," Mathiason said of Warnock. "She has a knack for scoring."
