Box Score
Box score
MILWAUKEE - Ben Ziesemer's (New Ulm
Minn./Minnesota Valley Lutheran) three-pointer with 11 seconds left
sent the Wisconsin Lutheran College men's basketball team to a
thrilling come-from-behind 80-78 victory over UW-La Crosse on
Saturday night at the Recreation Complex.
Trailing by 15 points (77-62) with 3:55 left in the second half,
Wisconsin Lutheran closed the game on an 18-1 run capped-off by
Ziesemer's three-pointer to seal the win over the Eagles.
The Warriors, who led by as much as seven points in the first
half, held onto a slim 37-36 halftime lead. After seven brief lead
changes early in the second half, La Crosse controlled the majority
of the half, leading from the 16:39 mark until 11 seconds left to
play.
Danny Behm (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) led all
scorers with 27 points, while Sam Siemers (Nicollet,
Minn./Minnesota Valley Lutheran) and Kyle Plath (Lake Geneva,
Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Plath grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
UW-La Crosse, which won the rebounding battle 41-29, shot 50
percent (32-64) from the floor, compared to 41.8 percent (23-55)
for the Warriors.
Wisconsin Lutheran, which held a 17-5 advantage in points off
turnovers in the second half, converted on 25 of 27 free-throw
attempts, including a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe
over the final 20 minutes.
Andy Merklein scored 16 points to lead three players in double
figures for UW-La Crosse (1-1). Kurt Kincaid added 11 points and 14
rebounds for a double-double.
Wisconsin Lutheran (1-2) faces Carroll University on Friday at 6
p.m. at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon, Wis., in the
first game of the Wisconsin Classic.
