Senior Jenna Statz made three three-point baskets in Oregon's 45-43 win over Monroe, none bigger than her left-corner go-ahead triple with 27 seconds remaining to give the Panthers the edge in a Badger South clash with the Cheesemakers on Thursday night.
With the win Oregon snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Cheesemakers. Oregon's last win over Monroe was in January of 2016.
Thursday's game started out fast and furious, with Oregon jumping out to a 10-2 lead thanks in part to three straight baskets by Kaitlyn Schrimpf. Monroe dug out of the hole with an 11-2 run of their own to briefly take a lead near the midway point of the first half, and from there the game settled into a back-and-forth affair.
Late in the game, Monroe got called for a five-second violation with 1:02 left in regulation. Oregon worked their offense and sprung Statz free for the eventual game-winning three at 27 seconds remaining. Monroe set up a play for Sydney Hilliard, who got caught in traffic and saw her potential game-tying shot fall off with seven seconds to play. A putback tip-in missed as well, and the clock expired with a raucous celebration by the home crowd at Oregon high school.
Hilliard paced the Cheesemakers with 17 points, including 11 in the first half, which was half of Monroe's points at halftime when they trailed 25-22.
Oregon got a big game from leading scorer Liz Uhl, who finished with 15. Statz had nine, all on three-pointers, and Schrimpf finished the game with nine points, all in the first half.
Monroe will play Fort Atkinson Tuesday on their home floor, while Oregon will travel to Monona Grove on Tuesday. The Panthers are on a six-game winning streak following the victory over Monroe.
OREGON: 25|20=45
MONROE: 22|21=43
Oregon Scoring: Liz Uhl 15, Jenna Statz 9, Kaitlyn Schrimpf 9, Katie Eisele 4, Peyton Spilde 3, Vanessa Goltz 3, Izzie Peterson 2.
Monroe Scoring: Sydney Hilliard 17, Emily Benzschawel 9, Megan Benzschawel 8, Grace Tostrud 5, Grace Mathiason 4.
Oregon coach Adam Wamsley postgame interview: