MONROE - Without 6-foot-5 senior Ben Latimer, who hasn't played yet this season due to a fractured bone in his foot, the Monroe High School boys basketball team had been off to a slow start.
That all changed Tuesday night when Monroe turned in a dominating performance to steamroll its way to a 69-36 win over Milton.
Monroe junior Carter Sawdey scored a game-high 15 points, and junior Alex Tordoff scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three steals to lead the Cheesemakers to their first win this season. Monroe sophomore David Keegan added 10 points, and sophomore Brayden Zettle chipped in nine points, including two 3-pointers.
"It feels really good to get the first win," Tordoff said. "We have been on a tough streak lately. I think we moved the ball and passed to get wide open shots. Luckily, we were making them tonight."
Monroe (1-4, 1-2 Badger South) opened the game with a 15-3 run. Tordoff drained a jumper in the lane and then scored on a layup to give the Cheesemakers a 10-3 lead with 11 minutes, 13 seconds left in the first half. Zettle drilled a 3-pointer to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 12 points with 9:23 to go. Sawdey hit a jumper and then buried a 3-pointer. Zettle followed with a layup to give the Cheesemakers an insurmountable 31-8 lead.
The Red Hawks committed nine of their 16 turnovers in the first half and struggled shooting. The Red Hawks shot just 15 percent in the first half (3-for-20) and finished the game at 20.4 percent (9-for-44).
"Coming in we were concerned about their penetration," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "You have to be a little leery about what the other team does best. You never want to let one or two guys beat you. I thought we did a good job of stopping their penetration. I thought we did a good job on the perimeter of not giving them space and challenging shots."
The Cheesemakers had their highest scoring game this year after shooting 59.2 percent (16-for-27) in the first half to build a 41-12 lead and finished the game shooting 46.2 percent (25-for-54).
That is a sharp contrast from the Cheesemakers' two losses to Brodhead and Madison Edgewood during which they shot 30 percent.
"I think when we get post touches we get good shots," Sawdey said. "We got post touches. We were confident and knocked them down."
Sawdey and the Cheesemakers were not going to overlook a Milton team, which dropped to 0-7, 0-3 Badger South.
"We prepare for every game the same way," Sawdey said. "We have to respect our opponent. It was just nice to get our first win. We just have to try to keep our momentum going."
The Cheesemakers made six 3-pointers. Keegan had two 3-pointers and Sawdey and senior Eric Tabaka also knocked down one each.
Murphy used an 11-player rotation and got solid production from each player. Monroe junior Jake Kind scored six points and had four rebounds. Junior teammate Hogan Edwards scored six points and junior Dylan Beaver chipped in four points and had a team-high eight rebounds.
"I love the fact that we were sharing the ball," Murphy said. "The more guys that are weapons the harder it is to scout and prepare for us."
The Cheesemakers were just as dominant in the second half. Tordoff hit a jumper to give the Cheesemakers a 44-12 lead. Keegan scored a on a slashing drive to the basket to give the Cheesemakers their largest lead at 37 points, 61-24 with 5:15 to go in the second half.
"Both teams came in hungry to get their first win," Murphy said. "No matter what, we have to continue to work to get better."
That all changed Tuesday night when Monroe turned in a dominating performance to steamroll its way to a 69-36 win over Milton.
Monroe junior Carter Sawdey scored a game-high 15 points, and junior Alex Tordoff scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three steals to lead the Cheesemakers to their first win this season. Monroe sophomore David Keegan added 10 points, and sophomore Brayden Zettle chipped in nine points, including two 3-pointers.
"It feels really good to get the first win," Tordoff said. "We have been on a tough streak lately. I think we moved the ball and passed to get wide open shots. Luckily, we were making them tonight."
Monroe (1-4, 1-2 Badger South) opened the game with a 15-3 run. Tordoff drained a jumper in the lane and then scored on a layup to give the Cheesemakers a 10-3 lead with 11 minutes, 13 seconds left in the first half. Zettle drilled a 3-pointer to extend the Cheesemakers' lead to 12 points with 9:23 to go. Sawdey hit a jumper and then buried a 3-pointer. Zettle followed with a layup to give the Cheesemakers an insurmountable 31-8 lead.
The Red Hawks committed nine of their 16 turnovers in the first half and struggled shooting. The Red Hawks shot just 15 percent in the first half (3-for-20) and finished the game at 20.4 percent (9-for-44).
"Coming in we were concerned about their penetration," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "You have to be a little leery about what the other team does best. You never want to let one or two guys beat you. I thought we did a good job of stopping their penetration. I thought we did a good job on the perimeter of not giving them space and challenging shots."
The Cheesemakers had their highest scoring game this year after shooting 59.2 percent (16-for-27) in the first half to build a 41-12 lead and finished the game shooting 46.2 percent (25-for-54).
That is a sharp contrast from the Cheesemakers' two losses to Brodhead and Madison Edgewood during which they shot 30 percent.
"I think when we get post touches we get good shots," Sawdey said. "We got post touches. We were confident and knocked them down."
Sawdey and the Cheesemakers were not going to overlook a Milton team, which dropped to 0-7, 0-3 Badger South.
"We prepare for every game the same way," Sawdey said. "We have to respect our opponent. It was just nice to get our first win. We just have to try to keep our momentum going."
The Cheesemakers made six 3-pointers. Keegan had two 3-pointers and Sawdey and senior Eric Tabaka also knocked down one each.
Murphy used an 11-player rotation and got solid production from each player. Monroe junior Jake Kind scored six points and had four rebounds. Junior teammate Hogan Edwards scored six points and junior Dylan Beaver chipped in four points and had a team-high eight rebounds.
"I love the fact that we were sharing the ball," Murphy said. "The more guys that are weapons the harder it is to scout and prepare for us."
The Cheesemakers were just as dominant in the second half. Tordoff hit a jumper to give the Cheesemakers a 44-12 lead. Keegan scored a on a slashing drive to the basket to give the Cheesemakers their largest lead at 37 points, 61-24 with 5:15 to go in the second half.
"Both teams came in hungry to get their first win," Murphy said. "No matter what, we have to continue to work to get better."
