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Beaver Dam joins elite company in beating Monroe 65-46 in the Division 2 state championship game. 

The Golden Beavers join Milwaukee Washington (1994-96), Cuba City (2005-07), Flambeau (2008-09) and Milwaukee Vincent (2007-09) as teams to three-peat as state champions, in girls' basketball state history. 

Beaver Dam scored the first 10 points of the game and led by as many as 15 points in the first half before leading 30-19 at the break. 

The Golden Beavers scored 13 points off 10 Monroe turnovers in the first half and shot 11-for-27 from the floor. Senior Tara Stauffacher, a Wisconsin recruit, led all scorers with 9 points at the break. 

Monroe cut the lead to single digits after a basket by senior Emily Benzschawel, a Lindenwood recruit, to start the second half. Beaver Dam senior Aly Van Loo, a North Dakota recruit, followed that up with two points of her own to extend the lead back to 11 with 17:39 to go. 

The Cheesemakers would cut the lead back down to single digits after a jumper by senior Sydney Hilliard, a Wisconsin recruit, with 17:10 left. 

As they always seem to do, Beaver Dam responded with a 3-pointer by senior Paige Schumann, an Eastern Illinois recruit, to give the Golden Beavers a 35-23 lead with 16:51 left and would hold a double-digit lead the rest of the way. 

Beaver Dam led by as many as 22 points in the second half before earning the 19-point win. Which is the smallest margin of victory against an in-state opponent this season. 

Stauffacher finished with a team-high 15 points and went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. She added 7 rebounds and 2 assists for the Golden Beavers. 

Schumann and sophomore phenom Maty Wilke also reached double figures for the Golden Beaver, finishing with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Schumann also tallied a game-high 5 assists. 

Hilliard did all she could to keep Monroe in the game. She finished with a game-high 23 points on 9 of 14 shooting. The Wisconsin recruit, who was named the top senior point guard by WSN, finishes her stellar career with 1,991 career points and led the Cheesemakers to three consecutive trips to the state tournament. 

Beaver Dam's senior class posted a 104-5 record, including the three consecutive Division 2 state titles. Their only in-state losses came against Bay Port and Notre Dame (sectional final) as freshman. 

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