Monroe wins Southern Badger

The Monroe boy's basketball team had a tough time with Monona Grove, but the top players came through in the end. Follow the link and read my story on how Monroe joined exclusive company in the Badger conference.



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Southern Badger far from decided in boy's basketball.

The Southern Badger boy’s basketball season is heating up as it comes down to the final few games. Monroe crushed Fort Atkinson to move a half game in first at 9-2 ahead of Madison Edgewood, who was upset by Oregon to fall to 9-3. The loss by Edgewood did more than drop them out of first, however. It opened the door for another school to sneak into the race, Stoughton.

In what turned into one of the most entertaining games of the night, Stoughton edged Monona Grove 50-48 to move to 8-3 in the conference. However, the Silver Eagles believe Stoughton survived. The Vikings led by 16 points midway through the third quarter, and they were cruising to a win.

When it comes to closing basketball games, the free throw-line becomes important. Stoughton let the Silver Eagles get back into the game by only shooting seven of 19 from the line in the fourth quarter. On the other end, Monona Grove hit 11 of 13 from the line. The Vikings were now in a battle, and even though they led the entire game, the Silver Eagles had the ball with less than five seconds to go and were down two.

Jake Retzlaff drove the lane and came to within five-feet of the basket. He put the shot up, but something was wrong. Tom Speth, who led the team with 13 points, put his hands up and blocked the shot to end the game. A sigh of relief from the Viking faithful followed.

The way they won becomes irrelevant. They won, and they closed the gap in the conference with the season winding down. They have a slim chance of earning a share of the title, but it is a chance nonetheless. The Vikings will play on, and the conference has to wait a few more days to see what team will be the champion.