PEORIA, Ill. - In its biggest test of the season, the Monroe girls basketball team lost a thriller in the final seconds to Morton, Illinois, 58-57 Saturday at Illinois Central College.
With Monroe leading by one point, Morton, which has won three straight Class 3A state championships in Illinois, had sophomore Lindsey Dullard score on a layup off an inbounds play, with eight seconds to go to give the Potters a 58-57 lead over the Cheesemakers. Without a timeout left, the Cheesemakers looked to push the ball up the court quick but were called for traveling with 0.1 seconds to go.
Morton (5-1) is looking to become the first team ever in the Illinois High School Association's history to win four straight state championships.
"It's the type of game we needed," Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said. "I was just proud of the effort from the girls. We were down, and we came back to take the lead. We had a chance in the final 10 seconds to win the game. We had to compete and figure out a way to make plays."
Monroe junior Sydney Hilliard, who has offers from University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW-Green Bay and Marquette, scored a game-high 23 points. The Potters had no answer to stop Hilliard from diving to the basket or pulling up for a mid-range jumper.
It was a matchup of the Cheesemakers' size in the halfcourt against the Potters' fast-breaking run-and-gun offense. Monroe (4-1, 2-0 Badger South) trailed by 10 points early in the third quarter after Dullard drilled a 3-pointer to give the Potters a 33-23 lead.
Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud scored down low with 7:48 left in the fourth quarter to give the Cheesemakers a short-lived 42-41 lead. Morton's Josi Becker answered by hitting a 3-pointer to give the Potters a 44-42 lead. The Cheesemakers trailed by 8 points with about five minutes left.
Monroe sophomore Grace Mathiason scored on a layup to cut the Potters' lead to 52-47 with 3:18 left. Hilliard scored on a layup with 1:57 to go to slice the Potters' lead to 1 point, 52-51. Hilliard again knifed by Morton's Courtney Jones for the go-ahead layup that gave the Cheesemakers a 57-56 lead with 18.6 seconds to go.
Dullard scored a team-high 18 points to lead Morton. Morton junior Tenley Dowell added 16 points. Dowell has more than 20 Division I college basketball scholarship offers, and Dullard has several scholarship offers too. Following a timeout, Morton drew up an inbound play where the Cheesemakers got caught on a screen.
"They are a really good and experienced team," Mathiason said. "We didn't have much of a scouting report to go from. They just executed in the end better than we did."
Monroe junior Emily Benzschawel added 11 points, and senior Sydney Mathiason had 10 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Even though the Cheesemakers ended the game with a turnover and didn't get a shot off in the final 8 seconds, Sam Mathiason sees the game as a learning experience.
"We haven't practiced that situation this early in the season," he said of pushing the ball up the court needing a basket to win with no timeouts. "We have to practice that to know what we will do in those situations. We are looking at it as a learning experience. Next time we are in a situation like that we will be prepared."
Monroe will play Morton again next year.
Mathiason said the game site has not been determined.
With Monroe leading by one point, Morton, which has won three straight Class 3A state championships in Illinois, had sophomore Lindsey Dullard score on a layup off an inbounds play, with eight seconds to go to give the Potters a 58-57 lead over the Cheesemakers. Without a timeout left, the Cheesemakers looked to push the ball up the court quick but were called for traveling with 0.1 seconds to go.
Morton (5-1) is looking to become the first team ever in the Illinois High School Association's history to win four straight state championships.
"It's the type of game we needed," Monroe coach Sam Mathiason said. "I was just proud of the effort from the girls. We were down, and we came back to take the lead. We had a chance in the final 10 seconds to win the game. We had to compete and figure out a way to make plays."
Monroe junior Sydney Hilliard, who has offers from University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW-Green Bay and Marquette, scored a game-high 23 points. The Potters had no answer to stop Hilliard from diving to the basket or pulling up for a mid-range jumper.
It was a matchup of the Cheesemakers' size in the halfcourt against the Potters' fast-breaking run-and-gun offense. Monroe (4-1, 2-0 Badger South) trailed by 10 points early in the third quarter after Dullard drilled a 3-pointer to give the Potters a 33-23 lead.
Monroe sophomore Grace Tostrud scored down low with 7:48 left in the fourth quarter to give the Cheesemakers a short-lived 42-41 lead. Morton's Josi Becker answered by hitting a 3-pointer to give the Potters a 44-42 lead. The Cheesemakers trailed by 8 points with about five minutes left.
Monroe sophomore Grace Mathiason scored on a layup to cut the Potters' lead to 52-47 with 3:18 left. Hilliard scored on a layup with 1:57 to go to slice the Potters' lead to 1 point, 52-51. Hilliard again knifed by Morton's Courtney Jones for the go-ahead layup that gave the Cheesemakers a 57-56 lead with 18.6 seconds to go.
Dullard scored a team-high 18 points to lead Morton. Morton junior Tenley Dowell added 16 points. Dowell has more than 20 Division I college basketball scholarship offers, and Dullard has several scholarship offers too. Following a timeout, Morton drew up an inbound play where the Cheesemakers got caught on a screen.
"They are a really good and experienced team," Mathiason said. "We didn't have much of a scouting report to go from. They just executed in the end better than we did."
Monroe junior Emily Benzschawel added 11 points, and senior Sydney Mathiason had 10 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
Even though the Cheesemakers ended the game with a turnover and didn't get a shot off in the final 8 seconds, Sam Mathiason sees the game as a learning experience.
"We haven't practiced that situation this early in the season," he said of pushing the ball up the court needing a basket to win with no timeouts. "We have to practice that to know what we will do in those situations. We are looking at it as a learning experience. Next time we are in a situation like that we will be prepared."
Monroe will play Morton again next year.
Mathiason said the game site has not been determined.
