MONROE - Sam Mathiason avoided the temptation to make any major changes to help his Monroe girls basketball team snap a four-game skid.
That patience paid off in a big way Saturday night, when Brooke McBain poured in 26 points and the Cheesemakers stormed back from a 10-point deficit to throttle Freeport
45-26 in the Snack Bowl.
"It's just nice we could come back after a tough loss to Portage (Thursday) and get the first win of 2012," Mathiason said. "I think we were more aggressive being where we needed to be. We didn't give them any easy transition baskets.
"We didn't make any changes. We just did a better job of executing on defense like we want to do all the time."
Freeport junior Ashley Alexander scored 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter to help the Pretzels take a 14-6 lead.
The Cheesemakers shut down the Pretzels after that, however, and went on a 23-0 run. Freeport went more than 12 minutes without a basket that stretched from the second quarter into the fourth quarter.
"You can never overvalue the ability to get a win," Mathiason said. "I'm just really proud of the way they battled back. They were rewarded tonight."
The Cheesemakers (2-7, 0-3 Badger South) closed the first half on an 11-2 run, with Briana Katzenberger scoring on a drive late in the period to give Monroe a 17-16 halftime lead.
The Pretzels were plagued by 20 turnovers. The Cheesemakers used a 15-0 spurt in the third quarter to build an insurmountable
16-point lead.
McBain knocked down two 3-pointers from the top of the key during the third-quarter surge, and senior Molly Hlubek also hit a 3-pointer.
"My confidence level was pretty high today," McBain said. "I knew I had to go out and shoot to get the lead.
"I felt like we started to get them frustrated a little. We had energy from the crowd. We just pumped up our enthusiasm. That helped."
Monroe limited Freeport to just 20.4 percent shooting
(9-for 44) and built a 23-point lead in the second half. Monroe sophomore Taylor Barrett scored five points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Mathiason said the Cheesemakers did a great job passing, and once they hit a few shots, the confidence grew.
"Basketball is still a team game," he said. "We have to continue to come out, work together and find those opportunities and do it at both ends."
Monroe, which hit 14 of 17 free throws, now will gear up for a visit from Stoughton on Tuesday night.
"You just have to take it one game at a time," Mathiason said. "We just want to play up to our ability. I think this will give us a spring to our step after a performance like this."
That patience paid off in a big way Saturday night, when Brooke McBain poured in 26 points and the Cheesemakers stormed back from a 10-point deficit to throttle Freeport
45-26 in the Snack Bowl.
"It's just nice we could come back after a tough loss to Portage (Thursday) and get the first win of 2012," Mathiason said. "I think we were more aggressive being where we needed to be. We didn't give them any easy transition baskets.
"We didn't make any changes. We just did a better job of executing on defense like we want to do all the time."
Freeport junior Ashley Alexander scored 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter to help the Pretzels take a 14-6 lead.
The Cheesemakers shut down the Pretzels after that, however, and went on a 23-0 run. Freeport went more than 12 minutes without a basket that stretched from the second quarter into the fourth quarter.
"You can never overvalue the ability to get a win," Mathiason said. "I'm just really proud of the way they battled back. They were rewarded tonight."
The Cheesemakers (2-7, 0-3 Badger South) closed the first half on an 11-2 run, with Briana Katzenberger scoring on a drive late in the period to give Monroe a 17-16 halftime lead.
The Pretzels were plagued by 20 turnovers. The Cheesemakers used a 15-0 spurt in the third quarter to build an insurmountable
16-point lead.
McBain knocked down two 3-pointers from the top of the key during the third-quarter surge, and senior Molly Hlubek also hit a 3-pointer.
"My confidence level was pretty high today," McBain said. "I knew I had to go out and shoot to get the lead.
"I felt like we started to get them frustrated a little. We had energy from the crowd. We just pumped up our enthusiasm. That helped."
Monroe limited Freeport to just 20.4 percent shooting
(9-for 44) and built a 23-point lead in the second half. Monroe sophomore Taylor Barrett scored five points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Mathiason said the Cheesemakers did a great job passing, and once they hit a few shots, the confidence grew.
"Basketball is still a team game," he said. "We have to continue to come out, work together and find those opportunities and do it at both ends."
Monroe, which hit 14 of 17 free throws, now will gear up for a visit from Stoughton on Tuesday night.
"You just have to take it one game at a time," Mathiason said. "We just want to play up to our ability. I think this will give us a spring to our step after a performance like this."
