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Slow start doesn't stop Cheese
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Times photo: Adam Krebs Monroe senior Kylee Ritschard goes up for a shot in the first quarter of Monroes 46-41 victory over Baraboo Friday. Ritschard scored 14 points to lead Monroe.
MONROE - After going two weeks between games, first-year Monroe head coach Sam Mathiason wasn't sure how quickly his team would get going against Baraboo on Friday.

"They (Baraboo) had played on Tuesday and we were wondering how we were going to break the ice and get that first basket," Mathiason said. "When you make some baskets it makes the game a lot easier."

In the end, the Cheesemakers did just enough to outlast Baraboo 46-41.

"We wanted to push ourselves as hard as we could," Monroe senior Kylee Ritschard said. "We had to control the ball and we had to make each pass and play our game."

The Cheesemakers opened the game slowly and found themselves down 8-0 with under three minutes to play in the first quarter. That's when Kristin McArdle connected with a 3-pointer to put Monroe on the board. After the first quarter came to a close, the Cheesemakers found themselves in an 11-5 hole.

"You get down eight or nine and you're just hoping you get that first bucket. We were getting some good looks early," Mathiason said. "Then all of a sudden we found that groove. We made some extra passes and got some people some nice step and shoot opportunities."

By that time Monroe was just starting to find its groove. Ritschard took a pass in the paint and got the hoop and the harm moments into the second quarter and hit the free throw to bring the game to within five. Not long after Brooke McBain scored on a putback to make it 13-10.

Three-pointers by Ritschard, McArdle and Abby Jacobson brought Monroe back to within a point at 22-21 with 1:44 left in the half. Ritschard added two bonus free throws and a jumper with 30 seconds left to give the Cheesemakers a 25-22 lead at the break.

"A lot of times you have to take what they give you. It's hard to live on 3-pointers and we're not a team that's going to be able to anyway. But we're good enough that we're going to hit enough that the defense has to honor that. That leads you to some other opportunities," Mathiason said.

Ritschard, who scored 12 of her 14 points in the first half, said it was a full team effort.

"Everyone started hitting shots, which was cool. We got the ball rolling our way," Ritschard said. "It feels really good knowing we can gather ourselves to get back into the game and hit those crucial shots. It's a team game and not just one person."

Monroe held the lead throughout the third quarter and led 37-28 headed into the fourth. The lead had crept to 11 points before Baraboo's Emily O'Rouke's putback at the buzzer. O'Rouke, a 6-feet, 2-inch senior, had 14 points for the Thunderbirds (3-1) and sophomore Samantha Terry (6-1) had a game-high 21 for Baraboo.

"Four all the size that they bring, there's some potential to really get hurt on the boards," Mathiason said. "I thought we did a great job with some second-chance opportunities. I thought our kids really battled."

Baraboo's head coach Dave Crane was called for a technical four seconds into the fourth. Monroe regained its 11-point lead after McBain hit the two free throws, but it then the Cheesemakers were called for four fouls over the next 1:32 of action.

"They get that technical and all of a sudden the game gets called a little bit tighter. They called some different fouls that they hadn't necessarily called," Mathiason said. "So you adjust to that, but sometimes you get into a little bit more of a conservative nature. You try to make sure you get a good possession and then you don't take some of those shots that you usually would. That allowed them to get back in it."

Ritschard did her best playing with four fouls, including hitting the game-clinching free throws with 10.4 seconds left. Baraboo had brought the score back to within two points at 43-41.

"Being on varsity the last two years really helped, because you get nervous," Ritschard said of her experience, which allowed her to play at state in each of the last two seasons.

McArdle finished with 11 points, McBain eight and Kyleigh Sellnow six. As a team, the Cheesemakers hit six 3s.

Monroe (2-2) next hosts DeForest (2-2) on Tuesday, Dec. 21.