MONONA - With the basketball tournament around the corner, the Monroe boys looked to be primed for the postseason after knocking off Badger South Conference leader Monona Grove 54-46 in a dominating performance.
Monroe (8-9, 3-5 Badger South) led 32-19 entering the fourth quarter Tuesday. The Cheesemakers made 21 of 28 free throws including 14 of 19 in the fourth quarter to foil the Silver Eagles' comeback bid.
"That is what won it," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of the Cheesemakers' free-throw shooting. "We have been talking about getting to 70 percent. That was huge. We just refused to lose."
With the win, Monroe avenged a 15-point loss to the Silver Eagles from earlier this season. Monroe sophomore Carter Sawdey scored a team-high 14 points and made 8 of 8 free throws including 6 of 6 in the fourth quarter. Monroe junior Ben Latimer scored nine of his 12 points in the third quarter as the Cheesemakers built a 13-point lead. Monroe sophomore Alex Tordoff added nine points and he was 5 of 6 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
"I wanted our guys to get into these games where you have to play four quarters and you have to get stops," Murphy said. "They got a taste of it. All of us in our program want more of that. It's a step in the right direction. We are just trying to get better every day."
The Silver Eagles (11-5, 6-2) did have 15 offensive rebounds. Stoughton (14-3, 6-1) now has a one-half game lead on Oregon and Monona Grove in the conference.
"That is something we have to work on," Murphy said of the rebounding. "They didn't convert as many as they did the first game."
Monroe (8-9, 3-5 Badger South) led 32-19 entering the fourth quarter Tuesday. The Cheesemakers made 21 of 28 free throws including 14 of 19 in the fourth quarter to foil the Silver Eagles' comeback bid.
"That is what won it," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said of the Cheesemakers' free-throw shooting. "We have been talking about getting to 70 percent. That was huge. We just refused to lose."
With the win, Monroe avenged a 15-point loss to the Silver Eagles from earlier this season. Monroe sophomore Carter Sawdey scored a team-high 14 points and made 8 of 8 free throws including 6 of 6 in the fourth quarter. Monroe junior Ben Latimer scored nine of his 12 points in the third quarter as the Cheesemakers built a 13-point lead. Monroe sophomore Alex Tordoff added nine points and he was 5 of 6 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
"I wanted our guys to get into these games where you have to play four quarters and you have to get stops," Murphy said. "They got a taste of it. All of us in our program want more of that. It's a step in the right direction. We are just trying to get better every day."
The Silver Eagles (11-5, 6-2) did have 15 offensive rebounds. Stoughton (14-3, 6-1) now has a one-half game lead on Oregon and Monona Grove in the conference.
"That is something we have to work on," Murphy said of the rebounding. "They didn't convert as many as they did the first game."
