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Faced with the possibility of dropping their fourth consecutive contest, Beaver Dam's resilient Beavers got big-time shots from a number of different players Monday night and pulled out an exciting 55-52 double overtime win over host Milton. 

The Badger Conference East victory evened the Beavers mark at 10-10 under coach Tim Ladron and snapped what had been a nasty losing streak that included double-figure losses to Monona Grove and DeForest along with a four-point setback to Fort Atkinson. 

And with a game pending tonight against league-leading Waunakee, the possibility of a five-game skid appeared real to the Beavers. 

"We came in here on a bit of a bad streak," Ladron said. "We had three tough losses in a row and have Waunakee next. This was an enormous win for our team."

The biggest hero of the night for Beaver Dam was an unlikely one. Senior guard Kaleb Schmuhl, who played on the JV team as a junior, hit a three-point shot as the horn sounded to end the game, sending his teammates into a frenzy and a stunned crown to the exits.

"Kaleb was on our JV team last year, but he has gotten a lot stronger and spent a lot of time in the weight room over the last year," Ladron said. "He's a locker room favorite who has worked hard to get to where he is now."

While Schmuhl hit the game winner, the Beavers wouldn't have been in position to get the win without big shots from sophomore point guard Parker Stobbe (5-9) and junior wing guard JT Kaul (6-0). 

On the final possession of regulation, Stobbe floated to the baseline, took a pass from off an offensive rebound by teammate Jack Jens (6-3) and let fly with a shot that hit nothing but net as time ran out, sending the contest into overtime tied at 44. 

It was Stobbe's lone field goal of the game. 

"Parker hit the big shot to send it into overtime, which showed a lot of resiliency because he had a tough shooting night," Ladron said. 

Kaul, the Beavers' top scorer at 13.8 ppg, was limited to just a few baskets through regulation and the first overtime, thanks in large part to the strong defense of Milton senior Matt Kirk. 

However, with the Beavers down five in the second extra session, Kaul hit back-to-back three-point shots to set the stage for Schmuhl's heroics at the end. Kaul and Schmuhl each finished with 13 points to lead the Beavers. 

"JT stepped up big when he needed it," Ladron said. "I thought we did a good job tonight of seeing the floor and working for good shots. Defensively, we changed up a bit on them due to our lack of size. We mixed it up and our guys responded well to every defense we played."

In a season of ups and downs, Monday's result certainly was the latter for Milton, which fell to 11-10 on the campaign.

It appeared the Red Hawks had the game in hand at the end of regulation and after grabbing a five-point lead in the second overtime. But missed free throws and a questionable shot or two helped Beaver Dam come back both times on the way to its thrilling victory. 

"Kudos to Beaver Dam," Milton coach Alex Olson said. "Those guys were ready to play, were well prepared and made big shots.

"We've been inconsistent all year. It's been frustrating because we just can't find our groove."

Milton can get back on the winning track tonight when it hosts Fort Atkinson. Olson is hoping his squad responds with the opportunity it has against the Blackhawks.

"If you defend and share the ball, the game will reward you," Olson said. "Tonight, I could feel in the pit of my stomach things weren't going well. We didn't finish the simple play."

Kirk, a versatile player who can defend smaller players with his length and quickness, finished with 13 points as did senior teammate Brogan McIntyre. 

Kirk and McIntyre, both 6-foot-5, helped Milton fare well on the glass throughout the contest.

"Kirk is an improved defender for us," Olson said. "His length is being put to good use when he is guarding people." 

Beaver Dam's changing defenses seemed to slow junior guard Ayden Goll (6-0) a bit. Goll came into the contest averaging 15 points and five assists. He finished with nine points.

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