FREEPORT - Emily Rufenacht recaptured her stroke Saturday night.
Unfortunately, the moment she did, the Pretzels of Freeport had three resounding answers en route to a 61-50 non-conference victory.
After struggling recently from the floor, the Monroe junior splashed a 3-pointer from just beyond the circle that slipped the shooter back into her groove.
"I've been off and some of it has been my confidence," Rufenacht said. "After I hit that first one, it just felt right all night long."
But that also was the case for Freeport, which responded with three consecutive 3-pointers that spurred a 14-0 run and led to a 37-22 halftime lead. The Cheesemakers never truly threatened thereafter.
The closest Monroe came was when Rufenacht hit the third of her four shots from beyond the arc from the top of the key to pull within seven at 50-43.
Pretzles junior Courtney Shiffer hit two free throws to open and two more to end a 6-0 run before Rufenacht kept Monroe afloat with another rainmaker.
While the Cheese could hardly smother the Pretzels' interior play, Monroe did manage to outscore its interstate neighbors to the south, 28-24, in the second half of play.
Freeport junior Katie Norman led all scorers with 16 points.
Rufenacht led Monroe with 14 points and isn't blind to the silver lining of a non-conference loss to a solid club at this time of year. Freeport had won the NIC-10 championship the night before playing Monroe.
"They're a great team and they'll only get us ready for the most important games of our season so far," Rufenacht said.
The next of those crucial contests is Tueday at Stoughton before Monona Grove visits Friday to close out the Badger South schedule.
The last time the squads got together for a non-conference tilt was 1981, at which point Lady Cheesemakers coach Kevin Keen was still pacing the sidelines for the boys team and boys coach Pat Murphy was just a fifth-grader in Mineral Point
Unfortunately, the moment she did, the Pretzels of Freeport had three resounding answers en route to a 61-50 non-conference victory.
After struggling recently from the floor, the Monroe junior splashed a 3-pointer from just beyond the circle that slipped the shooter back into her groove.
"I've been off and some of it has been my confidence," Rufenacht said. "After I hit that first one, it just felt right all night long."
But that also was the case for Freeport, which responded with three consecutive 3-pointers that spurred a 14-0 run and led to a 37-22 halftime lead. The Cheesemakers never truly threatened thereafter.
The closest Monroe came was when Rufenacht hit the third of her four shots from beyond the arc from the top of the key to pull within seven at 50-43.
Pretzles junior Courtney Shiffer hit two free throws to open and two more to end a 6-0 run before Rufenacht kept Monroe afloat with another rainmaker.
While the Cheese could hardly smother the Pretzels' interior play, Monroe did manage to outscore its interstate neighbors to the south, 28-24, in the second half of play.
Freeport junior Katie Norman led all scorers with 16 points.
Rufenacht led Monroe with 14 points and isn't blind to the silver lining of a non-conference loss to a solid club at this time of year. Freeport had won the NIC-10 championship the night before playing Monroe.
"They're a great team and they'll only get us ready for the most important games of our season so far," Rufenacht said.
The next of those crucial contests is Tueday at Stoughton before Monona Grove visits Friday to close out the Badger South schedule.
The last time the squads got together for a non-conference tilt was 1981, at which point Lady Cheesemakers coach Kevin Keen was still pacing the sidelines for the boys team and boys coach Pat Murphy was just a fifth-grader in Mineral Point
