MADISON - When a basketball team is struggling the way Monroe's girls are this season, coaches strive to take big steps forward but often take solace in the less obvious ones.
That was the case for Sam Mathiason on Tuesday as he stood outside the locker room at the University of Wisconsin Field House.
Monroe's bench boss was plenty frustrated about the first-half punch to the gut the Cheesemakers absorbed from New Berlin Eisenhower in a
58-32 loss to the state's No. 2-ranked Division 2 unit in the Madison Edgewood Holiday Classic.
But Mathiason also was pleased to see the Cheesemakers show some second-half moxie after leaving the floor at halftime trailing 29-8 and appearing as if they might threaten the 17-year-old girls tournament record-low of 22 points for a game.
"They're a very good team and we knew that," Mathiason said of the Lions, the 2010 state champs in Division 2 and a state quarterfinalist a year ago.
The coach then ticked off a long list of issues that led to the first-half struggles - which included 3 of 18 shooting from the floor - before crediting his players for playing the Lions even at 15-15 in the third quarter.
"In the second half, I thought we competed," Mathiason said. "We didn't completely fold after that first half - and we could have."
Senior forward Brooke McBain scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half - hitting all three of her 3-point attempts after the break - and senior guard Molly Hlubek added seven points for the Cheesemakers.
McBain said she was determined to make sure Monroe (1-6) shot more than 18 times in the second half.
"I guess after the first half when we didn't shoot a lot, I was going to find a way to put up some shots," McBain said.
"I didn't think we did awful," McBain said of the outing. "We knew they were one of the top-ranked teams and we had to work hard, but we just had lots of turnovers and that led to the big point difference."
Eisenhower guard Nicole Bauman, who has committed to play for the Badgers, was largely responsible for the Cheesemakers' struggles at both ends of the floor. The
5-foot-10 senior scored 10 points, but did her best work hounding Monroe's guards into repeated turnovers and, more often than not, chalked up an assist as the Lions streaked to a fastbreak basket.
Veteran Eisenhower coach Gary Schmidt said he'd have to watch the game tape to be sure, but that he believed Bauman might have challenged the school's single-game assists record.
"The University of Wisconsin is really going to be happy to have her," Schmidt said. "She plays great defense, she's an excellent passer and she can rebound, too. She makes her teammates better because they always have to be alert and ready for one of her laser passes."
Junior guard Erin Ganzke scored 12 points and junior forward Katie Lang also scored 10 for Eisenhower (8-0), which hopes to ride a defense that entered the game allowing just over 31 points per game back to Madison for a run at state title.
The Cheesemakers, who lost for the first time in five appearances in the Holiday Classic, are off until Jan. 5, when they travel to Portage.
"Priority No. 1 for us right now is playing better defense and making it harder on the other team," Mathiason said. "Priority No. 2 is working for better shots.
"We just have to continue working hard and play with effort and heart."
That was the case for Sam Mathiason on Tuesday as he stood outside the locker room at the University of Wisconsin Field House.
Monroe's bench boss was plenty frustrated about the first-half punch to the gut the Cheesemakers absorbed from New Berlin Eisenhower in a
58-32 loss to the state's No. 2-ranked Division 2 unit in the Madison Edgewood Holiday Classic.
But Mathiason also was pleased to see the Cheesemakers show some second-half moxie after leaving the floor at halftime trailing 29-8 and appearing as if they might threaten the 17-year-old girls tournament record-low of 22 points for a game.
"They're a very good team and we knew that," Mathiason said of the Lions, the 2010 state champs in Division 2 and a state quarterfinalist a year ago.
The coach then ticked off a long list of issues that led to the first-half struggles - which included 3 of 18 shooting from the floor - before crediting his players for playing the Lions even at 15-15 in the third quarter.
"In the second half, I thought we competed," Mathiason said. "We didn't completely fold after that first half - and we could have."
Senior forward Brooke McBain scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half - hitting all three of her 3-point attempts after the break - and senior guard Molly Hlubek added seven points for the Cheesemakers.
McBain said she was determined to make sure Monroe (1-6) shot more than 18 times in the second half.
"I guess after the first half when we didn't shoot a lot, I was going to find a way to put up some shots," McBain said.
"I didn't think we did awful," McBain said of the outing. "We knew they were one of the top-ranked teams and we had to work hard, but we just had lots of turnovers and that led to the big point difference."
Eisenhower guard Nicole Bauman, who has committed to play for the Badgers, was largely responsible for the Cheesemakers' struggles at both ends of the floor. The
5-foot-10 senior scored 10 points, but did her best work hounding Monroe's guards into repeated turnovers and, more often than not, chalked up an assist as the Lions streaked to a fastbreak basket.
Veteran Eisenhower coach Gary Schmidt said he'd have to watch the game tape to be sure, but that he believed Bauman might have challenged the school's single-game assists record.
"The University of Wisconsin is really going to be happy to have her," Schmidt said. "She plays great defense, she's an excellent passer and she can rebound, too. She makes her teammates better because they always have to be alert and ready for one of her laser passes."
Junior guard Erin Ganzke scored 12 points and junior forward Katie Lang also scored 10 for Eisenhower (8-0), which hopes to ride a defense that entered the game allowing just over 31 points per game back to Madison for a run at state title.
The Cheesemakers, who lost for the first time in five appearances in the Holiday Classic, are off until Jan. 5, when they travel to Portage.
"Priority No. 1 for us right now is playing better defense and making it harder on the other team," Mathiason said. "Priority No. 2 is working for better shots.
"We just have to continue working hard and play with effort and heart."
