MONROE - Monroe junior point guard Carter Sawdey has seen the same turn of events too many times this season with the Cheesemakers locked in a tight game only to come up just short.
The latest heartbreaker was a nail-biting 54-51 loss to Oregon on Thursday.
Sawdey scored a game-high 16 points and made 2 of 4 free throws in the final 1 minute, 40 seconds. He missed the front end of two one-and-one free-throw opportunities.
Monroe (3-11, 1-6 Badger South) is 0-8 in games decided by six points or less, including one-point losses to Brodhead and Freeport.
"They (Oregon) just made more plays and more free throws to make it tough on us," Sawdey said. "I think these close games will definitely help us come tournament time. We have to find out how to take that next step and come out on top."
With 14.9 seconds to go and the Panthers leading 53-51, Oregon senior Alex Duff missed a one-and-one free throw. Monroe senior Ben Latimer grabbed the rebound. Sawdey looked to drive in for a layup in transition, but the ball was blocked and it went off junior Alex Tordoff out of bounds.
Oregon senior Ben Wieland, who made 4 of 6 free throws in the final 51.4 seconds, sank a free throw and then missed the second.
Monroe sophomore Brayden Zettle's potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer went off the rim and bounded to the top of the backboard.
Duff and Wieland each scored 15 points to lead the Panthers, and senior Charlie Soul added 12 points.
"I just tried to attack the basket," Sawdey said. "I could have maybe looked to kick it out for a 3. It's just the way the ball bounces sometimes."
Monroe coach Pat Murphy didn't question his team's offensive decision in the final 14.9 seconds to attack the basket instead of setting it up for one final shot.
"We like the ball in his hands," Murphy said of Sawdey. "We can look at everything that happen in the final one minute and dissect it all night. We missed a few free throws late. What I'm looking at is we gave up 10 offensive rebounds. If you don't finish off possessions you give them more chances to score. To win in this league you have to be present (boxing out) all the time."
Early on, it had the makings of a game that could go down to the wire. Both teams got off to hot shooting starts in the first half. The Cheesemakers shot 71.4 percent in the first half (10 of 14) compared to 60 percent for the Panthers (12 of 20).
Duff drilled a 3-pointer with 7:23 left in the first half to give the Panthers their largest lead at nine points, 20-11.
The Cheesemakers battled back. Tordoff, who added nine points, knocked down a 3-pointer to help slice the Panthers' lead to 28-24 at the half.
Monroe junior Jake Kind had a hot hand for the Cheesemakers in the second half. Kind scored all eight of his points and finished with six rebounds, including four offensive rebounds.
"It's an example for other guys," Murphy said of Kind. "He's a little undersized. Where there is a will, there is a way. We need more guys like that to get a loose ball."
Kind hit a jumper and Latimer, who finished with seven points, scored down low with 12:15 left to give the Cheesemakers a 34-32 lead.
The Panthers answered with Michael Landry hitting a clutch 3-pointer to extend the lead to 40-36 with 10:16 left. Duff was fouled on a 3-pointer with 9:47 to go. He made just 1 of 3 free throws, but both Soul and Duff grabbed offensive rebounds on the final missed free throw. Duff was fouled again, and he made a pair of free throws to extend the Panthers' lead to 43-36. Despite the Panthers' rebounding prowess, the Cheesemakers didn't go away. Kind scored on back-to-back layups to cut the Panthers' lead to two points. Tordoff then came up with a steal and layup to give the Cheesemakers a 46-45 lead with 5:48 to go. That set the stage for a frantic finish.
"Hopefully, the guys are getting sick of losing," Murphy said. "We have to get better."
The latest heartbreaker was a nail-biting 54-51 loss to Oregon on Thursday.
Sawdey scored a game-high 16 points and made 2 of 4 free throws in the final 1 minute, 40 seconds. He missed the front end of two one-and-one free-throw opportunities.
Monroe (3-11, 1-6 Badger South) is 0-8 in games decided by six points or less, including one-point losses to Brodhead and Freeport.
"They (Oregon) just made more plays and more free throws to make it tough on us," Sawdey said. "I think these close games will definitely help us come tournament time. We have to find out how to take that next step and come out on top."
With 14.9 seconds to go and the Panthers leading 53-51, Oregon senior Alex Duff missed a one-and-one free throw. Monroe senior Ben Latimer grabbed the rebound. Sawdey looked to drive in for a layup in transition, but the ball was blocked and it went off junior Alex Tordoff out of bounds.
Oregon senior Ben Wieland, who made 4 of 6 free throws in the final 51.4 seconds, sank a free throw and then missed the second.
Monroe sophomore Brayden Zettle's potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer went off the rim and bounded to the top of the backboard.
Duff and Wieland each scored 15 points to lead the Panthers, and senior Charlie Soul added 12 points.
"I just tried to attack the basket," Sawdey said. "I could have maybe looked to kick it out for a 3. It's just the way the ball bounces sometimes."
Monroe coach Pat Murphy didn't question his team's offensive decision in the final 14.9 seconds to attack the basket instead of setting it up for one final shot.
"We like the ball in his hands," Murphy said of Sawdey. "We can look at everything that happen in the final one minute and dissect it all night. We missed a few free throws late. What I'm looking at is we gave up 10 offensive rebounds. If you don't finish off possessions you give them more chances to score. To win in this league you have to be present (boxing out) all the time."
Early on, it had the makings of a game that could go down to the wire. Both teams got off to hot shooting starts in the first half. The Cheesemakers shot 71.4 percent in the first half (10 of 14) compared to 60 percent for the Panthers (12 of 20).
Duff drilled a 3-pointer with 7:23 left in the first half to give the Panthers their largest lead at nine points, 20-11.
The Cheesemakers battled back. Tordoff, who added nine points, knocked down a 3-pointer to help slice the Panthers' lead to 28-24 at the half.
Monroe junior Jake Kind had a hot hand for the Cheesemakers in the second half. Kind scored all eight of his points and finished with six rebounds, including four offensive rebounds.
"It's an example for other guys," Murphy said of Kind. "He's a little undersized. Where there is a will, there is a way. We need more guys like that to get a loose ball."
Kind hit a jumper and Latimer, who finished with seven points, scored down low with 12:15 left to give the Cheesemakers a 34-32 lead.
The Panthers answered with Michael Landry hitting a clutch 3-pointer to extend the lead to 40-36 with 10:16 left. Duff was fouled on a 3-pointer with 9:47 to go. He made just 1 of 3 free throws, but both Soul and Duff grabbed offensive rebounds on the final missed free throw. Duff was fouled again, and he made a pair of free throws to extend the Panthers' lead to 43-36. Despite the Panthers' rebounding prowess, the Cheesemakers didn't go away. Kind scored on back-to-back layups to cut the Panthers' lead to two points. Tordoff then came up with a steal and layup to give the Cheesemakers a 46-45 lead with 5:48 to go. That set the stage for a frantic finish.
"Hopefully, the guys are getting sick of losing," Murphy said. "We have to get better."
