MILWAUKEE – Mukwonago took the same bitter medicine in heavy doses from Milwaukee Pius guards Terri and Tierra Bender.  The Indians, No. 5 in Division I, lost to No. 10 Pius 42-27, Friday.

The Popes (15-3, 9-1 Classic 8) took sole possession of first place with the win at home.  Both teams were 8-1 in the conference entering the game.

 After senior Morgan Lamberg scored the game’s first basket for Mukwonago (13-3, 8-2) in the first quarter, Pius went on a 10-1 run, getting 8 of their points from the Bender sisters.  Before calling a time out, the Indians trailed 10-3.  The Popes led 12-5 after a quarter.

“That was the goal, to come out strong,” sophomore Terri Bender said.  “We kind of struggle sometimes in the first quarter, but we got it together as it was a big game.”

Pius went scoreless for 3 minutes 55 seconds in the second quarter, allowing Mukwonago to score 8 unanswered points late in the quarter to cut the Popes’ lead to 17-13.  The Indians trailed 23-16 at the break.   The Benders scored almost half of Pius’ first half points (12).

“The girls came out and almost wanted to win too badly,” Mukwonago coach Staci Butalla said of her team.  “At times, we tried too hard, and that’s exactly what we were doing to start the game.”

The Popes increased their lead to double digits in the third quarter and entered the fourth quarter with a 35-22 advantage.

Mukwonago lost the momentum and senior Emily Romdenne, who fouled out with 3:47 left in regulation.

“It was a huge loss,” Butalla said of Romdenne.  “It happened in the fourth quarter when I think the game was probably out of our reach already.”

Terri Bender led Pius with a game-high 13 points and junior Tierra Bender added 11.  No one scored in double figures for Mukwonago.  The Popes swept the season series from the Indians.     

“If we’re gonna lose the game, let’s do it playing the way that we play,” Butalla said.  “Obviously, that’s what happened.”

Added Terri Bender:  “It was a big win.  We still have a couple more games . . . We can’t underestimate any other team, but this was a big win.”

According to Tierra Bender, it was just another day at the office.  “We feel that it’s just another game, just another win,” she said.  “We still got some things we got to get together, get our defense together, talk more on defense, get our communication together so we can build upon that and hopefully go to state.”

MUKWONAGO.......5    11    6    5  -  27
MILW. PIUS........12     9    12   7 -  42

Scoring:  Mukwonago – Emily Romdenne 9, Morgan Lamberg 7, Caitlyn Persinger 1, Kendall Martenet 2, Shannon Perez 8,  27.  Milw. Pius – Julia Borsari 5, Terri Bender 13, Maria Linn 4, Tierra Bender 11, Kelly Frings 7, Katie Golomski 2,  42.  Three-point goals:  Mukwonago, 1 (Romdenne).  Milw. Pius, 5 (Terri Bender, 3, Borsari, Frings).  Field-goal percentage:  Mukwonago 8-31 .258,  Milw Pius 18-39 .462.  Free-throw percentage:  Mukwonago 7-10 .700, Milw. Pius 1-4 .250.  Fouls:  Mukwonago 13, Milw. Pius 15.