MONROE - It was almost a case of déjà vu as the Monroe boys basketball team lost a thriller to Stoughton 49-48 in overtime Saturday night.
Locked in a tie game, Monroe junior Alex Barenklau grabbed a rebound and pushed the ball and hit a three-pointer just past halfcourt with 0.4 seconds left that looked like it would be the game-winner. However, officials waved the shot off because Monroe took a timeout.
Three years ago, Monroe beat the Vikings on a buzzer-beater from a similar spot on the floor.
"That's a shot I make once in 1,000 times," Barenklau said. "It was probably smart to call a timeout."
Officials put two seconds back on the clock and after setting a screen, Barenklau took an inbounds pass and just missed a slashing layin at the buzzer.
Barenklau, who scored a game-high 19 points, said there were several options on the final play in regulation, but the Cheesemakers just wanted to get something going to the basket.
"I definitely have to make that one," he said. "It's the one that decides it in the end."
Monroe coach Pat Murphy second guessed himself after the game.
"That broke one of my own rules," Murphy said of taking the timeout late in a time game with the ball. "I usually let it play out. At that point, I didn't think we had anything going with a long way to go and three seconds left and he threw it in. I think as coaches we will learn too."
Monroe senior Tyler Barta and Barenklau stymied Stoughton senior Max Fuller, limiting him just two points through regulation. Fuller sparked the Vikings, scoring seven of his nine points in overtime. Barenklau slashed to the basket and made a layup with 27.8 seconds left to cut the Vikings' lead to 47-45. Stoughton made 2 of 4 free throws in the final 25 seconds to take a 49-45 lead. Monroe senior Bryce Messerli knocked down a 3-pointer before the buzzer.
"Nobody is going to feel sorry for Monroe when they come in and takes one from us," Murphy said. "But we're going to make it hard as heck. We'll have to find a way to bounce back."
Early on, the game had all the makings of one that would come down to the wire. Monroe senior Austin Burandt scored five straight points and hit a 3-pointer to help the Cheesemakers jump out to a 5-0 lead. Stoughton's Casey Schultz drilled a 3-pointer with 2:04 left in the first quarter to help the Vikings take a 10-8 lead after the first period.
Stoughton senior Conner Kowalkowski hit a 3-pointer about midway through the second quarter to give the Vikings a 15-12 lead. The Vikings led by as many as five points in the first half after Schultz made two of three free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer to give the Vikings a 19-14 lead. The Cheesemakers lived at the free-throw line in the first half, hitting 7 of 10 to cut the Vikings' halftime lead to 21-18. Monroe finished 13 of 19 at the foul line.
"The one thing we worked on all week was attacking the basket," Barenklau said. "When they went into their zone, we attacked the basket and got layups and got them out of it. It was our No. 1 priority to be aggressive."
Monroe junior Brian Schneider scored all 11 of his points in the third quarter to spark the Cheesemakers. Schneider hit a 3-pointer about midway through the third quarter to slice the Vikings' lead to 26-25. Stoughton senior Cole Brusegar answered by scoring down low by picking up a foul. He made the free throw to convert the conventional three-point play to give the Vikings a 29-25 lead. Schneider knocked down a jumper and scored down low late in the third quarter to tie the game at 33.
"It was a tough loss," Schneider said. "We were working hard at getting to the basket and getting better shots."
Schneider said the Cheesemakers should take away that they can win any game.
"We just have to keep playing hard and hustling," he said.
Monroe junior Joe Latimer scored six points in the second half and gave the Cheesemakers a lift scoring down low. Latimer scored down low with 2:31 to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 39. The Cheesemakers also had another golden opportunity late in the fourth quarter, but they turned the ball over trying to feed Latimer in the post with 1:20 left. That set the stages for a frantic finish.
"We saw in the summer that he (Latimer) could score," Murphy said. "He just needs to get more consistent. Everything is a lot quicker now. He has to make split second decisions. It's tough."
Locked in a tie game, Monroe junior Alex Barenklau grabbed a rebound and pushed the ball and hit a three-pointer just past halfcourt with 0.4 seconds left that looked like it would be the game-winner. However, officials waved the shot off because Monroe took a timeout.
Three years ago, Monroe beat the Vikings on a buzzer-beater from a similar spot on the floor.
"That's a shot I make once in 1,000 times," Barenklau said. "It was probably smart to call a timeout."
Officials put two seconds back on the clock and after setting a screen, Barenklau took an inbounds pass and just missed a slashing layin at the buzzer.
Barenklau, who scored a game-high 19 points, said there were several options on the final play in regulation, but the Cheesemakers just wanted to get something going to the basket.
"I definitely have to make that one," he said. "It's the one that decides it in the end."
Monroe coach Pat Murphy second guessed himself after the game.
"That broke one of my own rules," Murphy said of taking the timeout late in a time game with the ball. "I usually let it play out. At that point, I didn't think we had anything going with a long way to go and three seconds left and he threw it in. I think as coaches we will learn too."
Monroe senior Tyler Barta and Barenklau stymied Stoughton senior Max Fuller, limiting him just two points through regulation. Fuller sparked the Vikings, scoring seven of his nine points in overtime. Barenklau slashed to the basket and made a layup with 27.8 seconds left to cut the Vikings' lead to 47-45. Stoughton made 2 of 4 free throws in the final 25 seconds to take a 49-45 lead. Monroe senior Bryce Messerli knocked down a 3-pointer before the buzzer.
"Nobody is going to feel sorry for Monroe when they come in and takes one from us," Murphy said. "But we're going to make it hard as heck. We'll have to find a way to bounce back."
Early on, the game had all the makings of one that would come down to the wire. Monroe senior Austin Burandt scored five straight points and hit a 3-pointer to help the Cheesemakers jump out to a 5-0 lead. Stoughton's Casey Schultz drilled a 3-pointer with 2:04 left in the first quarter to help the Vikings take a 10-8 lead after the first period.
Stoughton senior Conner Kowalkowski hit a 3-pointer about midway through the second quarter to give the Vikings a 15-12 lead. The Vikings led by as many as five points in the first half after Schultz made two of three free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer to give the Vikings a 19-14 lead. The Cheesemakers lived at the free-throw line in the first half, hitting 7 of 10 to cut the Vikings' halftime lead to 21-18. Monroe finished 13 of 19 at the foul line.
"The one thing we worked on all week was attacking the basket," Barenklau said. "When they went into their zone, we attacked the basket and got layups and got them out of it. It was our No. 1 priority to be aggressive."
Monroe junior Brian Schneider scored all 11 of his points in the third quarter to spark the Cheesemakers. Schneider hit a 3-pointer about midway through the third quarter to slice the Vikings' lead to 26-25. Stoughton senior Cole Brusegar answered by scoring down low by picking up a foul. He made the free throw to convert the conventional three-point play to give the Vikings a 29-25 lead. Schneider knocked down a jumper and scored down low late in the third quarter to tie the game at 33.
"It was a tough loss," Schneider said. "We were working hard at getting to the basket and getting better shots."
Schneider said the Cheesemakers should take away that they can win any game.
"We just have to keep playing hard and hustling," he said.
Monroe junior Joe Latimer scored six points in the second half and gave the Cheesemakers a lift scoring down low. Latimer scored down low with 2:31 to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 39. The Cheesemakers also had another golden opportunity late in the fourth quarter, but they turned the ball over trying to feed Latimer in the post with 1:20 left. That set the stages for a frantic finish.
"We saw in the summer that he (Latimer) could score," Murphy said. "He just needs to get more consistent. Everything is a lot quicker now. He has to make split second decisions. It's tough."
