MONROE - Without its top scorer, the Monroe girls basketball team took Milton down to the wire before dropping a Badger South Conference matchup 45-39 Saturday.
Despite 16 turnovers in the first three quarters, the Cheesemakers trailed the Red Hawks 30-27 entering the fourth quarter. Monroe (6-11, 1-7 Badger South) played without starting sophomore guard Lexi Hilliard, who is the team's leading scorer (9.7 points per game) and without junior Hannah Vetterli, and finished with 20 turnovers. Both Hilliard and Vetterli missed the game due to illness.
When asked about the frustration of having so many turnovers in a game the Cheesemakers were in a position to win in the second half, Monroe coach Sam Mathiason kept everything in perspective.
"It's one of those things where you try to take advantage of your opportunities," Mathiason said. "It's just continuing to get that feel for where and when you can make that pass. In a game like this that is six points, every possession is important. They kept playing hard. We just couldn't get over the hump."
Monroe freshman Sydney Mathiason scored 13 points and had seven rebounds and senior Alacia Keegan also scored a team-high 13 points. Monroe junior Brooke Adams added eight points.
"They (Milton) were missing players too," Sydney Mathiason said. "We can't use that as an excuse. They were missing a starter like we were too."
The Red Hawks capitalized on nine offensive rebounds in the second half.
"Defensively, we gave them some second-chance shots," Sydney Mathiason said. "Second-chance shots are always key to games. We have to work on our rebounding."
Keegan scored on a layup with 5 minutes, 58 seconds left in the fourth quarter to cut the Red Hawks' lead to 31-29. She then scored on another layup with 5:22 to go to give the Cheesemakers a short-lived 32-31 lead. The Red Hawks answered with a 10-2 run highlighted by a putback by Bailee Collins and eight free throws. The Red Hawks made 4 of 6 free throws in the final 2 minutes to seal the win. Collins finished with 13 points.
"Rebounding was huge for us," Keegan said. "We just need to play good defense because the best offense is a good defense."
Keegan said the help defense for the Cheesemakers wasn't as strong as it needed to be down low.
"It kind of threw us for a loop," Keegan said. "It just seemed like we weren't prepared to box out and get the rebound."
Despite being short-handed, early on it appeared like the Cheesemakers would be up to the test. Keegan drilled a 3-pointer with 5:36 left in the second quarter to cut the Red Hawks' lead to 17-15. Mathiason and Keegan combined to score 13 of the Cheesemakers' 17 points in the first half.
Playing without Hilliard was an adjustment for the Cheesemakers.
"Even though Lexi is a sophomore she is a really good leader," Keegan said. "She's good at helping everyone settle down and set up. Missing her was a deficit for us."
Keegan battled foul trouble in the third quarter. She picked up her third foul with 6:03 left in the third quarter and the Red Hawks scored five straight points to take a 24-19 lead. Monroe senior MacKenzie Hesgard converted a conventional three-point play with 2:58 to go in the third quarter to slice the Red Hawks' lead to 26-25. Keegan returned to the game and hit a jumper that gave the Cheesemakers a 27-26 lead late in the period.
"In a game like this, it comes down to a couple of possessions and they were able to make some free throws late," Sam Mathiason said. "We just were not able to get those conversions."
Mathiason also wants to see his team get better at rebounding, despite their defensive responsibilities.
"I thought we had to do some defensive rotations and because of that we were not able to get to the ball," he said. "It's important to box out, but we just have to go get that ball."
Despite 16 turnovers in the first three quarters, the Cheesemakers trailed the Red Hawks 30-27 entering the fourth quarter. Monroe (6-11, 1-7 Badger South) played without starting sophomore guard Lexi Hilliard, who is the team's leading scorer (9.7 points per game) and without junior Hannah Vetterli, and finished with 20 turnovers. Both Hilliard and Vetterli missed the game due to illness.
When asked about the frustration of having so many turnovers in a game the Cheesemakers were in a position to win in the second half, Monroe coach Sam Mathiason kept everything in perspective.
"It's one of those things where you try to take advantage of your opportunities," Mathiason said. "It's just continuing to get that feel for where and when you can make that pass. In a game like this that is six points, every possession is important. They kept playing hard. We just couldn't get over the hump."
Monroe freshman Sydney Mathiason scored 13 points and had seven rebounds and senior Alacia Keegan also scored a team-high 13 points. Monroe junior Brooke Adams added eight points.
"They (Milton) were missing players too," Sydney Mathiason said. "We can't use that as an excuse. They were missing a starter like we were too."
The Red Hawks capitalized on nine offensive rebounds in the second half.
"Defensively, we gave them some second-chance shots," Sydney Mathiason said. "Second-chance shots are always key to games. We have to work on our rebounding."
Keegan scored on a layup with 5 minutes, 58 seconds left in the fourth quarter to cut the Red Hawks' lead to 31-29. She then scored on another layup with 5:22 to go to give the Cheesemakers a short-lived 32-31 lead. The Red Hawks answered with a 10-2 run highlighted by a putback by Bailee Collins and eight free throws. The Red Hawks made 4 of 6 free throws in the final 2 minutes to seal the win. Collins finished with 13 points.
"Rebounding was huge for us," Keegan said. "We just need to play good defense because the best offense is a good defense."
Keegan said the help defense for the Cheesemakers wasn't as strong as it needed to be down low.
"It kind of threw us for a loop," Keegan said. "It just seemed like we weren't prepared to box out and get the rebound."
Despite being short-handed, early on it appeared like the Cheesemakers would be up to the test. Keegan drilled a 3-pointer with 5:36 left in the second quarter to cut the Red Hawks' lead to 17-15. Mathiason and Keegan combined to score 13 of the Cheesemakers' 17 points in the first half.
Playing without Hilliard was an adjustment for the Cheesemakers.
"Even though Lexi is a sophomore she is a really good leader," Keegan said. "She's good at helping everyone settle down and set up. Missing her was a deficit for us."
Keegan battled foul trouble in the third quarter. She picked up her third foul with 6:03 left in the third quarter and the Red Hawks scored five straight points to take a 24-19 lead. Monroe senior MacKenzie Hesgard converted a conventional three-point play with 2:58 to go in the third quarter to slice the Red Hawks' lead to 26-25. Keegan returned to the game and hit a jumper that gave the Cheesemakers a 27-26 lead late in the period.
"In a game like this, it comes down to a couple of possessions and they were able to make some free throws late," Sam Mathiason said. "We just were not able to get those conversions."
Mathiason also wants to see his team get better at rebounding, despite their defensive responsibilities.
"I thought we had to do some defensive rotations and because of that we were not able to get to the ball," he said. "It's important to box out, but we just have to go get that ball."
