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The Beaver Dam girls basketball team showed why it is not only a two-time defending state champion, but ranked in the top ten nationally with a dominating 68-48 victory over Hortonville in a WIAA Division 2 state semi-final at the Resch Center Friday afternoon.

The Golden Beavers never trailed in the contest and held a double-digit lead for final 28 minutes of the game. The 20-point margin of victory, coming after Hortonville hit a couple late three-pointers, was the closest win that Beaver Dam has had against a Wisconsin team all season.

Sophomore sensation Maty Wilke, who holds more than 20 scholarship offers, was a force throughout, especially in the first half, when she accumulated 12 points, four rebounds, and a pair of assists to help stake the Golden Beavers to a 36-21 halftime advantage.

Beaver Dam's lead swelled to as many as 31 points in the second half, before head coach Tim Chase substituted liberally over the final five minutes.

Wilke would finish with a game-high 20 points, while Natalie Jens (14 points) and Aly Van Loo (10) joined her in double figures. 

Macy McGlone, a Milwaukee recruit, had 10 points in the first half for Hortonville but could not find the bottom of the net after halftime. The Polar Bears were led in scoring by Kamy Peppler and Lexi Day, who each had 12.

Beaver Dam advances to the Division 2 state title game once again, as the Golden Beavers try to become just the fifth girls basketball team to win three straight WIAA state championships. Milwaukee Washington (1994-96), Cuba City (2005-07), Flambeau (2008-09) and Milwaukee Vincent (2007-09) have previously accomplished the feat.

A 13-0 run early in the second half helped Monroe pull away from Whitefish Bay for a 59-47 victory in a WIAA Division 2 state semi-final contest at the Resch Center on Friday afternoon.

With the win the Cheesemakers have advanced to their sixth state championship game, as the program searches for a fourth title.

It was not a great start in the game for Monroe, who saw Whitefish Bay jump out to an 11-2 lead early in the contest behind Ellie Clements and Alexis Caldwell.

Within four minutes Monroe erased the deficit and a short time later took its first lead of the game when Emily Benzschawel hit a three-pointer. The teams traded hoops the rest of the first half, which saw three lead changes and three ties before Monroe grabbed a narrow 28-26 lead at the break.

The Cheesemakers' lead remained at just two points early in the second half, before the 13-0 run began on a Sydney Hilliard jumper, as the Wisconsin recruit took over along with Emily Benzschawel. The duo combined for 44 of Monroe's 59 points in the game, as Hilliard led the way with 25 while Benzschawel chipped in with 19. Both players went 7-for-8 in the contest to help close the game out from the free throw line.

Ellie Clements used the hot start to the game to finished with a team-high 18 points for Whitefish Bay, while Elena Deslongchamps also hit double-figures with 15.

Monroe will head to an all-Badger Conference title game, as the South Division Cheesemakers take on Badger-North champ and two-time defending state champion Beaver Dam on Saturday.

Preliminary attendance for the Friday afternoon D2 session was 6,298.