Cudahy 46, Hortonville 36
Beaver Dam 62, Monroe 47
Beaver Dam (27-0) remained undefeated by notching a 62-47 win over Monroe in the Division 2 semifinals Friday at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
The Golden Beavers scored the final seven points of first period to open a 34-24 halftime advantage. The Cheesemakers pulled within single digits at 39-32 with 15:13 showing on the clock, but Beaver Dam extended its advantage to 15 at 54-39 with just over five minutes remaining in the game.
The Golden Beavers took advantage of 12 Monroe turnovers, outscoring the Cheesemakers 15-0 on points following a turnover. Defensively, they shut down the Monroe perimeter attack, allowing the Cheesemakers to convert on just 1-of-13 tries from beyond the arc.
Cassidy Trotter led all scorers with 23 points for Beaver Dam. She also led the Golden Beavers with seven rebounds and four steals. Sydney Hilliard led three Cheesemakers scoring in double figures with 16 points. Jordan Hirsbrunner and Sydney Mathiason each chipped in with 10 points apiece.
Beaver Dam returns to the championship game for the first time since finishing runner-up in 1991. Monroe (21-4) ends its season with its ninth State appearance.
Cudahy (20-7) held off Hortonville to advance to the State final in Division 2 with a 46-36 triumph in the semifinals Friday afternoon.
The Packers took advantage of a 9-1 run in the final 6:46 of the first half to take a 24-18 lead into halftime. Cudahy maintained the lead throughout the entire second half. The Polar Bears cut the deficit to 28-26 at the 11-minute mark, but they could get no closer. The Packers built their biggest lead of the game at 46-34 with two minutes remaining in the game.
Cudahy shot 45 percent from the floor in the game while holding the Polar Bears to 26 percent. The possibility of a Hortonville comeback in the second half was derailed by a 0-of-8 shooting effort from three-point range and a series of missed opportunities from close range.
Bailey Eichner led all scorers with 13 points for the Packers. She also handed out a game-high six assists. Hannah Kulas added 12 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. Shay Frederick scored 12 points and dished out four assists to lead Hortonville, and Morgan Allen contributed 10 points before fouling out.
Cudahy advances to the title game in its first State Tournament appearance, and Hortonville (20-6)