• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Monroe pulls away with its defense

Monroe High School coach Kevin Keen knew what his team had to do after Platteville hit four three-pointers in the first half of a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal girls basketball game Thursday night.

The Cheesemakers put their defensive intensity on high, and it paid immediate dividends, leading to a 57-41 victory for Monroe on the Cheesemakers’ court.

Top-seeded Monroe (22-1), ranked No. 1 in the state, plays Brodhead (16-8) at 4 p.m. Saturday in a regional title game at Verona. That will be a rematch of the Cheesemakers’ season-opening 51-41 victory, and the winner will play Sauk Prairie (20-4) or Richland Center (21-2) at Waunakee next Thurday in the semifinals of the Janesville Craig Sectional.

After leading the fourth-seeded Hillmen only 30-26 at halftime, Monroe nearly shut out Platteville in the third quarter. Only a three-pointer on the last possession of the quarter enabled Platteville to escape the shutout, and Monroe took a 42-29 lead into the final period.

Senior forward Ashley Hermanson’s 18 points led the Cheesemakers.

Chelsea Brice added 17 points for Monroe. Julia Lawinger led Platteville (15-9) with 15.

MONROE 57, PLATTEVILLE 41

Platteville (41)—Jentz, 1-2-4; Lenz, 1-0-2; Kay, 2-0-4; Droessler, 2-0-5; Stecklein, 1-1-4; Wruble, 2-0-5; Lawinger, 6-0-15; Moss, 1-0-2. Totals: 16-3-41.

Monroe (57)—Brice, 6-3-17; Sutter, 0-4-4; Ritschard, 2-0-4; Hermanson, 7-4-18; Armstrong, 3-4-10; Ditter, 2-0-4. Totals: 20-15-57.

Platteville 10 16 3 12—41

Monroe 11 19 12 15—57

Three-pointer goals—Platteville 6 (Droessler, Stecklein, Wruble, Lawringer 3), Monroe 2 (Brice 2). Free throws missed—Platteville 1, Monroe 3. Total fouls—Platteville 17, Monroe 11. Fouled out—Wruble.

-- Delavan-Darien 61, Cudahy 44—Alana Cesarz outscored the Packers 9-4 in the third quarter, and the visiting Comets cruised to a Division 2 regional semifinal win over the regional’s No. 2 seed.

Delavan-Darien (20-4) plays Union Grove (21-2) in a regional final game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Lake Geneva Badger.

The Broncos beat the Comets twice during the regular season and won the Southern Lakes Conference title. The winner this time advances to Kettle Moraine for a Thursday night game against Columbus (21-2) or McFarland (19-5) in the semifinals of the Janesville Craig Sectional.

Cesarz finished with 27 points to lead all scorers, while Courtney Flood added 10 for Delavan-Darien.

Taylor Gradinjan had 18 points to lead Cudahy (15-9).

DELAVAN-DARIEN 61, CUDAHY 44

Delavan-Darien (61)—Miller, 1-0-3; Wenzel, 3-1-7; O’Neil, 4-0-8; Flood, 3-1-10; Cesarz, 10-7-27; Hudson, 3-0-6. Totals: 24-9-61.

Cudahy (44)—Fakler, 1-0-2; Weber, 1-0-3; Plachinski, 2-0-4; Gradinjan, 7-3-18; Riley, 2-1-5; Nanikowski, 2-0-5; Cramer, 1-0-2; Jagler, 2-0-5. Totals: 18-4-44.

Delavan-Darien 18 16 16 11—61

Cudahy 12 11 4 17—44

Three-point goals—Delavan-Darien 4 (Flood 3, Miller), Cudahy 4 (Weber, Gradinjan, Nanikowski, Jagler). Free throws missed—Delavan-Darien 5, Cudahy 2. Total fouls—Delavan-Darien 11, Cudahy 19. Fouled out—Riley.

-- Union Grove 48, Big Foot 37—Southern Lakes champion Union Grove rallied in the fourth quarter for a Division 2 regional semifinal win over the Chiefs.

Union Grove (21-2) plays Delavan-Darien (20-4) in a regional final game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Lake Geneva Badger.

Jordyn Courier had 15 points to lead Big Foot (13-10), which was outscored 23-7 in the fourth quarter. Haley Schwartz added 14 points for the Chiefs before fouling out.

UNION GROVE 48, BIG FOOT 37

Big Foot (37)—Petkoff, 1-0-2; Young, 0-4-4; Schwartz, 5-3-14; Courier, 6-1-15; Spangler, 1-0-2. Totals: 13-8-37.

Union Grove (48)—Jasperson, 4-5-16; Wilks, 2-2-6; Fink, 1-8-10; Lee, 0-3-3; Thomas, 2-2-6; Kujellis, 2-0-4; Grindle, 1-0-3. Totals: 12-20-48.

Big Foot 12 10 8 7—37

Union Grove 14 5 6 23—48

Three-point goals—Big Foot 3 (Courier 2, Schwartz), Union Grove 4 (Jasperson 3, Grindle). Free throws missed—Big Foot 3, Union Grove 7. Total fouls—Big Foot 19, Union Grove 10. Fouled out—Schwartz.

-- McFarland 44, Lake Mills 42—Kirsten Walker scored 18 points, and Jenna Blaser added 13 as the Spartans held off the host L-Cats in a Division 2 regional semifinal game.

McFarland (19-5) plays top-seeded and third-ranked Columbus (21-2) in a regional final game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Watertown. The winner faces Union Grove (21-2) or Delavan-Darien (20-4) at Kettle Moraine in the Janesville Craig sectional semifinals.

Denay Hering of Lake Mills (19-5) led all scorers with 20 points.

McFARLAND 44, LAKE MILLS 42

McFarland (44)—Ujke, 6; Alsmo, 4; Eversoll, 3; Walker, 18; Blaser, 13. Totals: 15-10-44.

Lake Mills (42)—Powers, 5; Wolff, 3; Hering, 20; Eck, 13; Elles, 1. Totals: 13-12-42.

McFarland 16 5 14 9—44

Lake Mills 13 12 3 14—42

Three-point goals—McFarland 4 (Ujke 2, Blaser 2), Lake Mills 4 (Hering 3, Eck). Free throws missed—McFarland 10, Lake Mills 6. Total fouls—McFarland 14, Lake Mills 17.

-- Columbus 45, Edgewood 40—Megan Crombie scored 14 points, and Sam Seltzner added 10 as the top-seeded Cardinals coasted past Madison Edgewood (13-11) in the Division 2 regional semifinals.

Third-ranked Columbus (21-2) plays McFarland (19-5) in a regional final game Saturday at Watertown.

COLUMBUS 45, EDGEWOOD 40

Edgewood (40)—Meriggioli, 8; Conn, 3; Elfman, 2; reese, 17; Barney, 10. Totals: 14-9-40.

Columbus (45)—Hesselberg, 9; Andler, 6; Hussey, 4; Paul, 2; Crombie, 14; Seltzner, 10. Totals: 16-12-45.

Edgewood 6 10 10 14—40

Columbus 14 9 12 10—45

Three-point goals—Edgewood 3 (Barney 2, Reese), Columbus 1 (Andler). Free throws missed—Edgewood 5, Columbus 5. Total fouls—Edgewood 15, Columbus 13.

Waukesha South Sectional

-- Pewaukee 68, Jefferson 58—The host Pirates used a 22-13 advantage in the third quarter in pulling away from the Eagles for a Division 2 regional semifinal win.

Pewaukee (21-2) plays Lakeside Lutheran (20-4) in a regional final at 1 p.m. Saturday at Waukesha North. The winner advances to the Waukesha South Sectional.

Jessica Splittgerber and Caylee Cottrell scored 16 and 14 points, respectively, to lead Jefferson (13-11).

PEWAUKEE 68, JEFFERSON 58

Jefferson (58)—Reuhl, 3-3-9; Wegner, 2-1-7; Janny, 3-0-6; Wagner, 1-0-2; Hutchinson, 0-2-2; Gnabsik, 0-2-2; Splittgerber, 3-8-16; Cottrell, 5-3-14 14. Totals: 17-19-58.

Pewaukee (68)—Frett, 4-1-9; Wirth, 3-2-8; Rosenberger, 2-3-7; Wood, 1-3-5; Swan, 7-5-20; Geipel, 0-2-2; Kalamarz, 5-5-16; Olewinski, 0-1-1. Totals: 22-22-68.

Jefferson 9 21 13 15—58

Pvewaukee 16 15 22 15—68

Three-point goals—Jefferson 5 (Wegner 2, Splittgerber 2, Cottrell), Pewaukee 2 (Swan, Kalamarz). Free throws missed—Jefferson 7, Pewaukee 8. Total fouls—Jefferson 24, Pewaukee 18.

-- Lakeside 62, Memorial 55—Jenna Luisier led four players in double figures with 20 points as Lakeside Lutheran skipped past visiting Waukesha Catholic Memorial in a Division 2 regional semifinal game.

Lakeside (20-4) plays Pewaukee (21-2) in a regional final game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Waukesha North.

Hannah Hackbarth added 13 points for Lakeside, and Cassie Carlson added 12.

LAKESIDE 62, MEMORIAL 55

Memorial (55)—A .Mueller, 3-0-8; K. Mueller, 1-4-6; Benash, 2-0-6; Kihslinger, 1-1-3; L. Mueller, 6-0-16; Guhl, 6-4-16. Totals: 19-9-55.

Lakeside (62)—Luisier, 6-7-20; Hinstorff, 1-0-2; Henning, 1-0-2; Hackbarth, 5-3-13; Carlson, 5-2-12; Anthon, 3-4-10. Totals: 22-17-62.

Waukesha Memorial 11 17 10 17—55

Lakeside Lutheran 13 22 9 18—62

Three-point goals—Memorial 8 (L. Mueller 4, A. Mueller 2, Benash 2), Lakeside 1 (Luisier). Free throws missed—Memorial 5, Lakeside 9. Total fouls—Memorial 21, Lakeside 16.