MONROE - In what may turn into a preview of a tournament game, Waunakee's Ryan Kruser hit a game-winning jumper in overtime to knock off Monroe 53-51 Saturday night in the Badger Challenge.
Kruser scored 13 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. However, none were bigger than his game-winning jumper with 2.3 seconds to go that came off the dribble.
"Trent (Wyssbrod) has been guarding good players all year and doing a great job," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "He made some tough shots. That is what good players do and he did it."
Monroe senior Alex Barenklau scored a team-high 18 points and just missed a halfcourt shot at the buzzer. Monroe senior Joe Latimer had 16 points, but fouled out with 1 minute, 52 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Monroe (13-4, 5-2 Badger South), ranked eighth in the Associated Press Division 2 state poll, had two other players foul out, including senior starters Ben Murray and Brian Schneider.
"Their football program has helped their basketball program," Barenklau said. "They are strong. If you are not strong with the ball and boxing out you will not beat a team like Waunakee. We did an all right job. An all right job won't beat a team like Waunakee."
With 1 minute, 26 seconds left in overtime, the Cheesemakers looked to hold the ball for the last shot. However, junior Jake Hirsbrunner was called for traveling with 44.7 seconds left.
Murphy said the Cheesemakers wanted to hang on to the ball for one final shot and he questioned the traveling call.
"I don't know what he (Hirsbrunner) did wrong," Murphy said.
Murphy understands that hanging onto the ball for 1:26 against a pressure defense and getting a quality shot poses some challenges.
"There is a fine line," he said. "You would like to (hang onto the ball for one shot). We had a hard time hanging onto the ball. It's just frustrating because three of our four losses have been in overtime. We prepare to play 32 plus minutes. We prepare for overtime. We just had to get one more break to go our way and we didn't."
The Cheesemakers made just 3 of 10 free throws in the first half, but got into a groove making 7 of 8 in the last 4:38 in the fourth quarter. Schneider made 1 of 2 free throws with 27.6 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 49. Schneider fouled out with 2:40 to go in overtime.
"It effects you everywhere," Murphy said of the three starters fouling out. "I don't think I have ever had three players foul out in one game since I have been coaching."
Early on, the Cheesemakers were up to the challenge. Latimer scored twice down low and then junior Charlie Kind scored on a putback to give the Cheesemakers a 10-2 lead with 3:47 left in the first quarter. The Warriors went to a trapping defense on the press and had some success in clawing their way back. Waunakee senior Alex Cole scoring on a layup midway through the second quarter to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 20-17. Waunakee senior Jakub Bollant-Ulvilden then came up with a steal on the press and scored on a layup to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 20-19. The Warriors had seven offensive rebounds in the first half, but the game was tied at 23 at the half.
The Warriors got a spark from senior Willie Freimuth who drilled a 3-pointer to start the third quarter. Waunakee senior Will Decorah, who scored nine points and had 13 rebounds, picked up his third foul early in the third quarter, but he was able to play through foul trouble. Murray banked in a shot for the Cheesemakers and he was fouled. He converted the conventional three-point play by knocking down the free throw to tie the game at 28 with 5:09 to go in the third quarter.
Barenklau banked in a floater midway through the period to give the Cheesemakers a 30-28 lead. Barenklau then hit a jumper at the end of the frame to give the Cheesemakers a 36-33 lead. That set the stage for an intense fourth quarter and extra session. Freimuth just misses a shot at the end of regulation that sent the game to overtime.
"They just made more plays than we did," Murphy said.
Monroe hosts Badger South Conference rival Fort Atkinson on Tuesday.
"We have to move forward and come back against a really good Fort Atkinson team," Murphy said. "We can either win or lose our next six games. That is how close everyone is."
Kruser scored 13 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. However, none were bigger than his game-winning jumper with 2.3 seconds to go that came off the dribble.
"Trent (Wyssbrod) has been guarding good players all year and doing a great job," Monroe coach Pat Murphy said. "He made some tough shots. That is what good players do and he did it."
Monroe senior Alex Barenklau scored a team-high 18 points and just missed a halfcourt shot at the buzzer. Monroe senior Joe Latimer had 16 points, but fouled out with 1 minute, 52 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Monroe (13-4, 5-2 Badger South), ranked eighth in the Associated Press Division 2 state poll, had two other players foul out, including senior starters Ben Murray and Brian Schneider.
"Their football program has helped their basketball program," Barenklau said. "They are strong. If you are not strong with the ball and boxing out you will not beat a team like Waunakee. We did an all right job. An all right job won't beat a team like Waunakee."
With 1 minute, 26 seconds left in overtime, the Cheesemakers looked to hold the ball for the last shot. However, junior Jake Hirsbrunner was called for traveling with 44.7 seconds left.
Murphy said the Cheesemakers wanted to hang on to the ball for one final shot and he questioned the traveling call.
"I don't know what he (Hirsbrunner) did wrong," Murphy said.
Murphy understands that hanging onto the ball for 1:26 against a pressure defense and getting a quality shot poses some challenges.
"There is a fine line," he said. "You would like to (hang onto the ball for one shot). We had a hard time hanging onto the ball. It's just frustrating because three of our four losses have been in overtime. We prepare to play 32 plus minutes. We prepare for overtime. We just had to get one more break to go our way and we didn't."
The Cheesemakers made just 3 of 10 free throws in the first half, but got into a groove making 7 of 8 in the last 4:38 in the fourth quarter. Schneider made 1 of 2 free throws with 27.6 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 49. Schneider fouled out with 2:40 to go in overtime.
"It effects you everywhere," Murphy said of the three starters fouling out. "I don't think I have ever had three players foul out in one game since I have been coaching."
Early on, the Cheesemakers were up to the challenge. Latimer scored twice down low and then junior Charlie Kind scored on a putback to give the Cheesemakers a 10-2 lead with 3:47 left in the first quarter. The Warriors went to a trapping defense on the press and had some success in clawing their way back. Waunakee senior Alex Cole scoring on a layup midway through the second quarter to cut the Cheesemakers' lead to 20-17. Waunakee senior Jakub Bollant-Ulvilden then came up with a steal on the press and scored on a layup to slice the Cheesemakers' lead to 20-19. The Warriors had seven offensive rebounds in the first half, but the game was tied at 23 at the half.
The Warriors got a spark from senior Willie Freimuth who drilled a 3-pointer to start the third quarter. Waunakee senior Will Decorah, who scored nine points and had 13 rebounds, picked up his third foul early in the third quarter, but he was able to play through foul trouble. Murray banked in a shot for the Cheesemakers and he was fouled. He converted the conventional three-point play by knocking down the free throw to tie the game at 28 with 5:09 to go in the third quarter.
Barenklau banked in a floater midway through the period to give the Cheesemakers a 30-28 lead. Barenklau then hit a jumper at the end of the frame to give the Cheesemakers a 36-33 lead. That set the stage for an intense fourth quarter and extra session. Freimuth just misses a shot at the end of regulation that sent the game to overtime.
"They just made more plays than we did," Murphy said.
Monroe hosts Badger South Conference rival Fort Atkinson on Tuesday.
"We have to move forward and come back against a really good Fort Atkinson team," Murphy said. "We can either win or lose our next six games. That is how close everyone is."
