Golden Beavers looking for a perfect ending
ASHWAUBENON Different game, same result.
For the second time this season, the Beaver Dam girls basketball team disposed of a pesky Monroe Cheesemakers squad, this time with a 62-47 victory in the WIAA Division 2 state semifinals Friday at the Resch Center.
The Golden Beavers, who were ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press Division 2 state poll, improved to 27-0 this season and still haven’t had a game decided by fewer than 10 points.
On Dec. 10, Beaver Dam easily handled host Monroe in a nonconference game, 70-49.
“Monroe is a great team,” said Beaver Dam coach Tim Chase, whose team will take on Cudahy (20-7) in the final at 6:35 p.m. Saturday. “I’m just so proud of our Beaver Dam team and the way they competed. We knew it was going to be a tough game. I thought our pace was pretty good and I thought I our defense was pretty decent. We moved the ball well — it makes me look good with how many talented players we have on this team. We are excited to play (in the state championship game).”
Making its first state appearance since 2010, Beaver Dam started slowly, but a 15-6 run toward the end of the first half gave it a 34-24 advantage heading into the break. After leading, 27-24, during that stretch, the Golden Beavers ended with a 7-0 spurt.
“I just took the open shot,” said sophomore forward Tara Stauffacher, who got the final burst started with a three-pointer and ended the game with eight points. “My teammates did a really good job of finding me… if I’m open I’m going to shoot it.”
Both teams started ice cold in the first 4 minutes, as the Golden Beavers missed their first three shots and Monroe was just 1 for 8.
Beaver Dam’s largest lead of the second half was 15, reached on two occasions — at the 5:19 mark and with time winding down as Alexa Brooks hit a three.
Senior point guard Cassidy Trotter, the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference player of the year and a Division II Michigan Tech recruit, poured in 23 points for the Golden Beavers, including 13 in the first half. She went to the free-throw line a whopping 19 times, hitting 12.
“I knew that I had a good matchup,” said Trotter, who is Beaver Dam’s all-time leader in points and steals, and is second in assists. “I knew I could get to the rim pretty easily and my teammates saw that and were getting me the ball… that really helped. It feels really good to get to the game (Saturday).”
The game pitted Trotter and her teammates against standout player in Sydney Hilliard, a 5-foot-9 sophomore guard. Hilliard is considered a Division I prospect and already has received offers from Wisconsin, UWGreen Bay and others. She finished with 16 points.
“First off, congratulations to Beaver Dam and the great game they played,” said Monroe coach Sam Mathiason. “There clearly is a reason why they’ve won 27 in a row and are ranked No. 1. They are very, very good.”
Senior forward Kara Crowley also added eight points for the Golden Beavers, while sophomore guard Paige Schumann chipped in with seven.
Beaver Dam also scored 15 points off 12 Cheesemakers turnovers.