MONROE - Joe Latimer likes the Monroe boys basketball team's chances with the game on the line at the free throw line.
That's the situation the senior and Monroe found themselves in trying to fend off a Stoughton rally Saturday. The Cheesemakers made 8 of 9 free throws in the final 52.8 seconds to seal a 52-38 win over the Vikings. Monroe (15-4, 7-2 Badger South), ranked 10th in the Associated Press Division 2 state poll, finished the game 19 of 21 at the charity stripe.
"You really have the upperhand when you only miss two free throws in a game," said Latimer, who scored a game-high 18 points. "It came down to free throws. You really can't defend a free throw."
The Cheesemakers' free throw shooting seemed contagious in the fourth quarter.
"That has been our formula," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "I think when things got a little crazy, we made free throws. You can't just have one guy making them. You have to have multiple guys making them. It's nice to have multiple options."
Another part of the recipe in the winning formula has been the Cheesemakers' stout defense. Monroe was able to draw two charges and three offensive fouls en route to a solid team effort.
"Our defensive goal was to hold them under 43 points and we did that," Murphy said. "We will win a lot of games if we hold them under 43. We continually try to grind out games. Embrace the grind."
Both teams got off to slow starts in a defensive battle in the first half. Latimer scored on a putback early in the second quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 9-8 lead. Monroe senior Trent Wyssbrod hit a jumper with 5:39 left in the period to give the Cheesemakers a 15-12 lead. Stoughton sophomore Nick McGlynn scored a team-high 14 points and had six rebounds and six blocked shots. McGlynn drilled a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter to tie the game at 15.
The Cheesemakers went through about a 5-minute scoring drought in the third quarter. Latimer snapped the cold spell scoring on a putback with 3:21 to go in the period to give the Cheesemakers a 20-19 lead. Monroe junior Jake Hirsbrunner gave the Cheesemakers a spark scoring all seven of his points in the second half. Hirsbrunner and Latimer each knocked down 3-pointers to give the Cheesemakers a 30-24 lead. Latimer finished the third quarter with a bang scoring down low to give the Cheesemakers a 32-26 lead.
"For a while, it looked like it was going to be an 18-18 game," Latimer said. "We knew they are strong. We just had to work harder than they did and I think we did that. At the end of the third quarter, we figured out we had to get a stop and score like we practice."
Monroe had success using a back-door cut in the second half. Hirsbrunner scored on a layup early in the fourth quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 36-26 lead. Senior Alex Barenklau scored on a layup with 4:35 to go to give the Cheesemakers a 40-28 lead. McGlynn hit a jumper to pull the Vikings within five points, 40-35, but that is as close as they would get. Barenklau scored on a layup with 1:53 to go to give the Cheesemakers a 42-35 lead. Barenklau scored 10 points, Wyssbrod added eight points and senior Brian Schneider chipped in seven.
"Everyone had their basketball smarts on and were cutting back door just like we practice," Hirsbrunner said. "Everything worked out the way we wanted it to."
Murphy still can see the Cheesemakers making improvements on rebounding and with their inside and outside scoring.
"We just have to continue to find ways to score inside and outside," Murphy said. "Joe obviously gets a lot of attention. If we can stretch it out from the perimeter that opens it up inside."
Monroe will host Monona Grove in a Badger South Conference showdown on Friday with a conference championship on the line. The Cheesemakers have a one and a half game lead on the Silver Eagles (10-8, 6-4), Stoughton and Oregon in the conference.
"There is a lot of basketball to be played," Murphy said. "This is when you want to be playing your best basketball."
That's the situation the senior and Monroe found themselves in trying to fend off a Stoughton rally Saturday. The Cheesemakers made 8 of 9 free throws in the final 52.8 seconds to seal a 52-38 win over the Vikings. Monroe (15-4, 7-2 Badger South), ranked 10th in the Associated Press Division 2 state poll, finished the game 19 of 21 at the charity stripe.
"You really have the upperhand when you only miss two free throws in a game," said Latimer, who scored a game-high 18 points. "It came down to free throws. You really can't defend a free throw."
The Cheesemakers' free throw shooting seemed contagious in the fourth quarter.
"That has been our formula," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "I think when things got a little crazy, we made free throws. You can't just have one guy making them. You have to have multiple guys making them. It's nice to have multiple options."
Another part of the recipe in the winning formula has been the Cheesemakers' stout defense. Monroe was able to draw two charges and three offensive fouls en route to a solid team effort.
"Our defensive goal was to hold them under 43 points and we did that," Murphy said. "We will win a lot of games if we hold them under 43. We continually try to grind out games. Embrace the grind."
Both teams got off to slow starts in a defensive battle in the first half. Latimer scored on a putback early in the second quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 9-8 lead. Monroe senior Trent Wyssbrod hit a jumper with 5:39 left in the period to give the Cheesemakers a 15-12 lead. Stoughton sophomore Nick McGlynn scored a team-high 14 points and had six rebounds and six blocked shots. McGlynn drilled a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter to tie the game at 15.
The Cheesemakers went through about a 5-minute scoring drought in the third quarter. Latimer snapped the cold spell scoring on a putback with 3:21 to go in the period to give the Cheesemakers a 20-19 lead. Monroe junior Jake Hirsbrunner gave the Cheesemakers a spark scoring all seven of his points in the second half. Hirsbrunner and Latimer each knocked down 3-pointers to give the Cheesemakers a 30-24 lead. Latimer finished the third quarter with a bang scoring down low to give the Cheesemakers a 32-26 lead.
"For a while, it looked like it was going to be an 18-18 game," Latimer said. "We knew they are strong. We just had to work harder than they did and I think we did that. At the end of the third quarter, we figured out we had to get a stop and score like we practice."
Monroe had success using a back-door cut in the second half. Hirsbrunner scored on a layup early in the fourth quarter to give the Cheesemakers a 36-26 lead. Senior Alex Barenklau scored on a layup with 4:35 to go to give the Cheesemakers a 40-28 lead. McGlynn hit a jumper to pull the Vikings within five points, 40-35, but that is as close as they would get. Barenklau scored on a layup with 1:53 to go to give the Cheesemakers a 42-35 lead. Barenklau scored 10 points, Wyssbrod added eight points and senior Brian Schneider chipped in seven.
"Everyone had their basketball smarts on and were cutting back door just like we practice," Hirsbrunner said. "Everything worked out the way we wanted it to."
Murphy still can see the Cheesemakers making improvements on rebounding and with their inside and outside scoring.
"We just have to continue to find ways to score inside and outside," Murphy said. "Joe obviously gets a lot of attention. If we can stretch it out from the perimeter that opens it up inside."
Monroe will host Monona Grove in a Badger South Conference showdown on Friday with a conference championship on the line. The Cheesemakers have a one and a half game lead on the Silver Eagles (10-8, 6-4), Stoughton and Oregon in the conference.
"There is a lot of basketball to be played," Murphy said. "This is when you want to be playing your best basketball."
