FRIDAY, NOV. 21: Monroe 55,
Elkhorn 45
ELKHORN - Monroe, the defending WIAA Division 2 state champions, broke the season debut open by outscoring the Elks 20-9 in the third quarter.
Monroe junior Jamie Armstrong scored 19 points and Ashley Hermanson added 11.
TUESDAY, NOV. 25: Monroe 68, Milton 52
MONROE - Monroe used a definitive size advantage to power their way to a win over Milton.
With the tallest player in the Red Hawk's lineup being 5-foot, 9-inches, 6-foot junior Ashley Hermanson had a size advantage down low and recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Hermanson was one of three Cheesemakers in double figures. Monroe junior Gwen Sutter scored 16 points and Jamie Armstrong added 10.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3: Monroe 58,
Stoughton 30
STOUGHTON - The Cheesemakers hit 3-pointers all night, rolling to a victory over Stoughton.
Monroe made eight 3-pointers, including four by senior Emily Rufenacht. Rufenacht scored 12 points and was joined in double figures by Ashley Hermanson (12) and Gwen Sutter. The Cheesemakers used a 17-4 first-quarter run to build a double-digit lead.
SATURDAY, DEC. 6: Monroe 62,
Monona Grove 30
MONROE - The Cheesemakers had a balanced attack with four players in double figures, including junior Ashley Hermanson (team-high 13 points), sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow (11), Jamie Armstrong (10) and Gwen Sutter (10).
Monroe used a 13-2 first-quarter run highlighted by Sutter's 3-pointer to build a double-digit lead.
FRIDAY, DEC. 12: Monroe 60,
Madison Edgewood 40
MADISON - Jamie Armstrong scored a game-high 23 points to power the Cheesemakers to a win over Madison Edgewood.
Monroe outscored the Crusaders 16-9 in the second quarter and had a 10-point halftime lead. Monroe senior Emily Rufenacht added 10 points.
FRIDAY, DEC. 19: Monroe 55, Oregon 46
MONROE - Ashley Hermanson scored 19 points to lead the Cheesemakers to a win over Oregon.
The Cheesemakers erased an 11-point deficit with a 9-0 spurt at the end of the second quarter.
Jamie Armstrong, Kyleigh Sellnow and Emily Rufenacht each scored eight points. The Cheesemakers made 8 of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
TUESDAY, DEC. 23: Monroe 75,
Fort Atkinson 52
FORT ATKINSON - Ashley Hermanson scored a game-high 25 points to propel the Cheesemakers to a win over the Blackhawks.
Monroe outscored Fort Atkinson 28-6 in the first quarter and built a 42-19 lead. Junior Gwen Sutter had 15 points.
MONDAY, DEC. 29: Monroe 48,
D.C. Everest 46
MADISON - Ashley Hermanson drilled a buzzer-beating jumper for a thrilling win over D.C. Everest at the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Holiday Classic.
Hermanson led the Cheese with a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds).
Monroe had to go the full length of the court with 4.4 seconds left. The Cheesemakers didn't panic. After the inbounds pass, sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow made a heady pass in transition to Hermanson for the game-winner.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7: Monroe 57, Platteville 26
MONROE - The Cheesemakers jumped out to a 20-4 first-quarter lead by playing to their size advantage down low.
Jamie Armstrong scored 16 points, Ashley Hermanson scored eight points and sophomores Kyleigh Sellnow and Chelsea Brice had six apiece.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10: Sauk Prairie 48,
Monroe 45
MONROE - Sauk Prairie junior Kelsey Budd capped an improbable comeback, drilling a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, stunning Monroe.
The Eagles erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Monroe sputtered down the stretch, going through a scoring drought of 7 minutes, 15 seconds. The loss snapped Monroe's 16-game winning streak that dated back to the 2007-08 season.
Ashley Hermanson scored 14 points to lead the Cheesemakers.
FRIDAY, JAN. 16: Madison Edgewood 49, Monroe 44
MONROE - After losing its first game of the regular season (and its No. 1 state ranking) on Jan. 10 to Sauk Prairie, Monroe followed up the loss with a rare second-consecutive setback.
Monroe failed to hit its first nine 3-pointers and shot under 30 percent in the opening quarter.
Edgewood pulled its early lead to double digits twice in the second quarter.
Jamie Armstrong had 16 points and Ashley Hermanson added 12 points.
TUESDAY, JAN. 20: Monroe 51, Brodhead 43
BRODHEAD - In a game that featured four of the area's best post players, Monroe stopped a two-game losing streak with a win over Brodhead.
The Cheesemakers' Ashley Hermanson and Jamie Armstrong combined for 27 points, while Kristen Ruchti and Dana Lewis scored 21 for the Cardinals.
The Cheesemakers then used a pressure defense and solid free throw shooting to ring off 10 straight points in the second half and put the game away.
FRIDAY, JAN. 23: Monroe 65, Oregon 36
OREGON - The Monroe girls basketball team rolled to a win over Oregon.
The Cheesemakers outscored the Panthers 19-0 in the second quarter and made 20 of 28 free throws in the game.
Ashley Hermanson led the Cheesemakers with a game-high 25 points, Jamie Armstrong had 12 points and sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow added 10.
TUESDAY, JAN. 27: Monroe 60,
Mount Horeb 45
MONROE - Emily Rufenacht provided a spark for the Cheesemakers by scoring nine of her game-high 15 points in the first half to lift Monroe to a non-conference win.
The Cheesemakers took control of the game with a 10-0 first-quarter run capped by Rufenacht driving into the lane and hitting a jumper.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31: Monroe 56,
Fort Atkinson 31
MONROE - The Cheesemakers got solid play from its entire lineup in the win over Fort Atkinson.
Monroe opened the game on an 11-0 run.
Kyleigh Sellnow finished with a game-high 13 points for Monroe. Ashley Hermanson had 12 points and Jamie Armstrong added 11.
THURSDAY, FEB. 5: Monroe 43, Waunakee 38
WAUNAKEE - The Monroe girls basketball team has lost a couple close games to Badger North rival Waunakee in recent years, but in 2009, the Cheesemakers came back to win.
Monroe trailed 21-14 at halftime and 35-28 after the third quarter.
In the fourth, Monroe's guards took over, hitting jumpers and 3-pointers, while holding Waunakee to just three points in the final frame. The Cheesemakers scored the game's final 14 points.
Gwen Sutter scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Emily Rufenacht finished with 11 points and also hit three 3s.
SATURDAY, FEB. 7: Monroe 52, Freeport 41
MONROE - Emily Rufenacht dropped the first seven points of the game, giving Monroe the momentum they would need to top Freeport, Illinois' fourth ranked team in Class 3A.
The Pretzels, who boast a handful of players with more than 1,000 career points, didn't get on the board until the 2:55 mark in the opening period.
Monroe's twin towers in the paint, Hermanson (13 points) and Jamie Armstrong ( eight points), combined for 22 rebounds.
TUESDAY, FEB. 10: Monroe 60, Milton 50
MILTON - The Cheesemakers used solid defense and an inside-out offense to roll the Red Hawks.
Ashley Hermanson and Jamie Armstrong each scored 16 points and senior guard Emily Rufenacht continued her superb play down the stretch. Rufenacht scored 16 points and hit two big 3-pointers in the third quarter.
The Cheesemakers outscored Milton 22-9 in the second quarter.
FRIDAY, FEB. 13: Monroe 55, Stoughton 37
MONROE - On Senior Night, shooting was at full throttle in the Cheesemakers' win over Stoughton.
Monroe started the game on fire, hitting its first six shots and bolting to a 13-1 lead.
Emily Rufenacht, Gwen Sutter, and Kyleigh Sellnow all hit 3-pointers in the opening quarter, and the Cheese led 16-5 headed into the second.
Sellnow scored 11 points and Rufenacht scored all 10 of her points in the first half.
THURSDAY, FEB. 19: Monroe 60,
Monona Grove 31
MONONA - Monroe hadn't played a game without Jamie Armstrong or Ashley Hermanson since 2006. Monroe also had never won six straight Badger South titles.
With a win over Monona Grove, the Cheese did both.
Playing its second straight game without Armstrong and its first without Hermanson, who was fighting an illness, Monroe got plenty of contributions from its guards and backup post players.
Kyleigh Sellnow scored 17 points, Emily Rufenacht had 13, and Kylee Ritschard added 10.
Monroe earned a conference co-championship with Madison Edgewood.
TUESDAY, FEB. 24: Regional quarterfinal - Monroe 54, Evansville 27
MONROE - The Cheesemakers blitzed the Blue Devils right out of the gates with a 19-0 first-quarter run.
Emily Rufenacht scored a game-high 12 points. Gwen Sutter scored 10 points.
Evansville shot just 3-for-21 in the first half and had 12 of its 19 turnovers as the Cheesemakers raced out to a 37-11 halftime lead.
THURSDAY, FEB. 26: Regional semifinal - Monroe 61,
Mount Horeb 40
MONROE - The Cheesemakers came out firing. Emily Rufenacht (16 points) and Jamie Armstrong (17 points) each hit 3-pointers and scored seven points in the opening frame as Monroe jumped out to an 18-8 lead after the first.
By the time the third came to a close, Monroe had an insurmountable 56-27 advantage.
SATURDAY, FEB. 28: Regional final -
Monroe 49, McFarland 37
VERONA - Every day in practice, members of the Monroe girls basketball team spend a large chunk of time shooting free throws.
The Cheesemakers spent a large chunk of time at the free throw line, and it paid off, as Monroe downed McFarland to capture a Division 2 Verona regional title. The Cheese sank 27 of 33 free throws.
Armstrong led Monroe with 22 points, 12 of those coming on 14 free throws. Armstrong alone made twice as many free throws as McFarland attempted.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6: Sectional semifinal - Monroe 63, Richland Center 53
WAUNAKEE - Monroe received a big boost from its bench with 21 points from Cheesemaker reserves.
Morgan Kennison scored a team-high 13 points and fellow junior Chelsea Brice made a pivotal halfcourt shot at the end of the third quarter.
Sutter scored six of her 10 points in the fourth quarter, including sinking four free throws when the Hornets crawled to within seven, then six points with 30 seconds left.
Sutter's free throw shooting was typical of the team's performance for the game. Monroe made 29 of 34 free throws, which sealed the victory.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7: Sectional final - Monroe 40, Madison Edgewood 34
JANESVILLE - Monroe junior Jamie Armstrong scored a team-high 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with two blocked shots to lead the Cheesemakers to a win over Madison Edgewood in a WIAA Division 2 Janesville Craig sectional final, earning a second straight trip to state.
Monroe lived from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, hitting 13 of 20 foul shots to seal the victory. Armstrong made 8 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter as she attacked the basket.
Monroe senior Emily Rufenacht shut down Edgewood senior Kenzie Kolb, who scored seven of her 10 points in the first quarter. Rufenacht held Kolb to 1-for-10 shooting the rest of the game.
Elkhorn 45
ELKHORN - Monroe, the defending WIAA Division 2 state champions, broke the season debut open by outscoring the Elks 20-9 in the third quarter.
Monroe junior Jamie Armstrong scored 19 points and Ashley Hermanson added 11.
TUESDAY, NOV. 25: Monroe 68, Milton 52
MONROE - Monroe used a definitive size advantage to power their way to a win over Milton.
With the tallest player in the Red Hawk's lineup being 5-foot, 9-inches, 6-foot junior Ashley Hermanson had a size advantage down low and recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Hermanson was one of three Cheesemakers in double figures. Monroe junior Gwen Sutter scored 16 points and Jamie Armstrong added 10.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3: Monroe 58,
Stoughton 30
STOUGHTON - The Cheesemakers hit 3-pointers all night, rolling to a victory over Stoughton.
Monroe made eight 3-pointers, including four by senior Emily Rufenacht. Rufenacht scored 12 points and was joined in double figures by Ashley Hermanson (12) and Gwen Sutter. The Cheesemakers used a 17-4 first-quarter run to build a double-digit lead.
SATURDAY, DEC. 6: Monroe 62,
Monona Grove 30
MONROE - The Cheesemakers had a balanced attack with four players in double figures, including junior Ashley Hermanson (team-high 13 points), sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow (11), Jamie Armstrong (10) and Gwen Sutter (10).
Monroe used a 13-2 first-quarter run highlighted by Sutter's 3-pointer to build a double-digit lead.
FRIDAY, DEC. 12: Monroe 60,
Madison Edgewood 40
MADISON - Jamie Armstrong scored a game-high 23 points to power the Cheesemakers to a win over Madison Edgewood.
Monroe outscored the Crusaders 16-9 in the second quarter and had a 10-point halftime lead. Monroe senior Emily Rufenacht added 10 points.
FRIDAY, DEC. 19: Monroe 55, Oregon 46
MONROE - Ashley Hermanson scored 19 points to lead the Cheesemakers to a win over Oregon.
The Cheesemakers erased an 11-point deficit with a 9-0 spurt at the end of the second quarter.
Jamie Armstrong, Kyleigh Sellnow and Emily Rufenacht each scored eight points. The Cheesemakers made 8 of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
TUESDAY, DEC. 23: Monroe 75,
Fort Atkinson 52
FORT ATKINSON - Ashley Hermanson scored a game-high 25 points to propel the Cheesemakers to a win over the Blackhawks.
Monroe outscored Fort Atkinson 28-6 in the first quarter and built a 42-19 lead. Junior Gwen Sutter had 15 points.
MONDAY, DEC. 29: Monroe 48,
D.C. Everest 46
MADISON - Ashley Hermanson drilled a buzzer-beating jumper for a thrilling win over D.C. Everest at the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Holiday Classic.
Hermanson led the Cheese with a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds).
Monroe had to go the full length of the court with 4.4 seconds left. The Cheesemakers didn't panic. After the inbounds pass, sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow made a heady pass in transition to Hermanson for the game-winner.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7: Monroe 57, Platteville 26
MONROE - The Cheesemakers jumped out to a 20-4 first-quarter lead by playing to their size advantage down low.
Jamie Armstrong scored 16 points, Ashley Hermanson scored eight points and sophomores Kyleigh Sellnow and Chelsea Brice had six apiece.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10: Sauk Prairie 48,
Monroe 45
MONROE - Sauk Prairie junior Kelsey Budd capped an improbable comeback, drilling a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, stunning Monroe.
The Eagles erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Monroe sputtered down the stretch, going through a scoring drought of 7 minutes, 15 seconds. The loss snapped Monroe's 16-game winning streak that dated back to the 2007-08 season.
Ashley Hermanson scored 14 points to lead the Cheesemakers.
FRIDAY, JAN. 16: Madison Edgewood 49, Monroe 44
MONROE - After losing its first game of the regular season (and its No. 1 state ranking) on Jan. 10 to Sauk Prairie, Monroe followed up the loss with a rare second-consecutive setback.
Monroe failed to hit its first nine 3-pointers and shot under 30 percent in the opening quarter.
Edgewood pulled its early lead to double digits twice in the second quarter.
Jamie Armstrong had 16 points and Ashley Hermanson added 12 points.
TUESDAY, JAN. 20: Monroe 51, Brodhead 43
BRODHEAD - In a game that featured four of the area's best post players, Monroe stopped a two-game losing streak with a win over Brodhead.
The Cheesemakers' Ashley Hermanson and Jamie Armstrong combined for 27 points, while Kristen Ruchti and Dana Lewis scored 21 for the Cardinals.
The Cheesemakers then used a pressure defense and solid free throw shooting to ring off 10 straight points in the second half and put the game away.
FRIDAY, JAN. 23: Monroe 65, Oregon 36
OREGON - The Monroe girls basketball team rolled to a win over Oregon.
The Cheesemakers outscored the Panthers 19-0 in the second quarter and made 20 of 28 free throws in the game.
Ashley Hermanson led the Cheesemakers with a game-high 25 points, Jamie Armstrong had 12 points and sophomore Kyleigh Sellnow added 10.
TUESDAY, JAN. 27: Monroe 60,
Mount Horeb 45
MONROE - Emily Rufenacht provided a spark for the Cheesemakers by scoring nine of her game-high 15 points in the first half to lift Monroe to a non-conference win.
The Cheesemakers took control of the game with a 10-0 first-quarter run capped by Rufenacht driving into the lane and hitting a jumper.
SATURDAY, JAN. 31: Monroe 56,
Fort Atkinson 31
MONROE - The Cheesemakers got solid play from its entire lineup in the win over Fort Atkinson.
Monroe opened the game on an 11-0 run.
Kyleigh Sellnow finished with a game-high 13 points for Monroe. Ashley Hermanson had 12 points and Jamie Armstrong added 11.
THURSDAY, FEB. 5: Monroe 43, Waunakee 38
WAUNAKEE - The Monroe girls basketball team has lost a couple close games to Badger North rival Waunakee in recent years, but in 2009, the Cheesemakers came back to win.
Monroe trailed 21-14 at halftime and 35-28 after the third quarter.
In the fourth, Monroe's guards took over, hitting jumpers and 3-pointers, while holding Waunakee to just three points in the final frame. The Cheesemakers scored the game's final 14 points.
Gwen Sutter scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers. Emily Rufenacht finished with 11 points and also hit three 3s.
SATURDAY, FEB. 7: Monroe 52, Freeport 41
MONROE - Emily Rufenacht dropped the first seven points of the game, giving Monroe the momentum they would need to top Freeport, Illinois' fourth ranked team in Class 3A.
The Pretzels, who boast a handful of players with more than 1,000 career points, didn't get on the board until the 2:55 mark in the opening period.
Monroe's twin towers in the paint, Hermanson (13 points) and Jamie Armstrong ( eight points), combined for 22 rebounds.
TUESDAY, FEB. 10: Monroe 60, Milton 50
MILTON - The Cheesemakers used solid defense and an inside-out offense to roll the Red Hawks.
Ashley Hermanson and Jamie Armstrong each scored 16 points and senior guard Emily Rufenacht continued her superb play down the stretch. Rufenacht scored 16 points and hit two big 3-pointers in the third quarter.
The Cheesemakers outscored Milton 22-9 in the second quarter.
FRIDAY, FEB. 13: Monroe 55, Stoughton 37
MONROE - On Senior Night, shooting was at full throttle in the Cheesemakers' win over Stoughton.
Monroe started the game on fire, hitting its first six shots and bolting to a 13-1 lead.
Emily Rufenacht, Gwen Sutter, and Kyleigh Sellnow all hit 3-pointers in the opening quarter, and the Cheese led 16-5 headed into the second.
Sellnow scored 11 points and Rufenacht scored all 10 of her points in the first half.
THURSDAY, FEB. 19: Monroe 60,
Monona Grove 31
MONONA - Monroe hadn't played a game without Jamie Armstrong or Ashley Hermanson since 2006. Monroe also had never won six straight Badger South titles.
With a win over Monona Grove, the Cheese did both.
Playing its second straight game without Armstrong and its first without Hermanson, who was fighting an illness, Monroe got plenty of contributions from its guards and backup post players.
Kyleigh Sellnow scored 17 points, Emily Rufenacht had 13, and Kylee Ritschard added 10.
Monroe earned a conference co-championship with Madison Edgewood.
TUESDAY, FEB. 24: Regional quarterfinal - Monroe 54, Evansville 27
MONROE - The Cheesemakers blitzed the Blue Devils right out of the gates with a 19-0 first-quarter run.
Emily Rufenacht scored a game-high 12 points. Gwen Sutter scored 10 points.
Evansville shot just 3-for-21 in the first half and had 12 of its 19 turnovers as the Cheesemakers raced out to a 37-11 halftime lead.
THURSDAY, FEB. 26: Regional semifinal - Monroe 61,
Mount Horeb 40
MONROE - The Cheesemakers came out firing. Emily Rufenacht (16 points) and Jamie Armstrong (17 points) each hit 3-pointers and scored seven points in the opening frame as Monroe jumped out to an 18-8 lead after the first.
By the time the third came to a close, Monroe had an insurmountable 56-27 advantage.
SATURDAY, FEB. 28: Regional final -
Monroe 49, McFarland 37
VERONA - Every day in practice, members of the Monroe girls basketball team spend a large chunk of time shooting free throws.
The Cheesemakers spent a large chunk of time at the free throw line, and it paid off, as Monroe downed McFarland to capture a Division 2 Verona regional title. The Cheese sank 27 of 33 free throws.
Armstrong led Monroe with 22 points, 12 of those coming on 14 free throws. Armstrong alone made twice as many free throws as McFarland attempted.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6: Sectional semifinal - Monroe 63, Richland Center 53
WAUNAKEE - Monroe received a big boost from its bench with 21 points from Cheesemaker reserves.
Morgan Kennison scored a team-high 13 points and fellow junior Chelsea Brice made a pivotal halfcourt shot at the end of the third quarter.
Sutter scored six of her 10 points in the fourth quarter, including sinking four free throws when the Hornets crawled to within seven, then six points with 30 seconds left.
Sutter's free throw shooting was typical of the team's performance for the game. Monroe made 29 of 34 free throws, which sealed the victory.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7: Sectional final - Monroe 40, Madison Edgewood 34
JANESVILLE - Monroe junior Jamie Armstrong scored a team-high 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with two blocked shots to lead the Cheesemakers to a win over Madison Edgewood in a WIAA Division 2 Janesville Craig sectional final, earning a second straight trip to state.
Monroe lived from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, hitting 13 of 20 foul shots to seal the victory. Armstrong made 8 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter as she attacked the basket.
Monroe senior Emily Rufenacht shut down Edgewood senior Kenzie Kolb, who scored seven of her 10 points in the first quarter. Rufenacht held Kolb to 1-for-10 shooting the rest of the game.
