Box Score
Box score
FOND DU LAC, Wis. - Bryan Ashbeck scored the
go-ahead bucket with just 14 seconds left as the Marian University
Sabres erased a late 10-point deficit and went on to hand Wisconsin
Lutheran a heartbreaking 72-71 loss on Saturday in a Northern
Athletics Conference men's basketball game at the Sadoff
Gymnasium.
Wisconsin Lutheran led by 10 points, 66-56, with 3:06 left in
the game after a pair of free throws from senior Sam Siemers
(Nicollet, Minn./Minnesota Valley Lutheran). Marian mounted its
comeback by making its final six shot attempts. Ashbeck, who scored
all nine of his points in the final 1:16 of the game, hit the
game-winning shot with 14 seconds left on a jumper near the
free-throw line. The Warriors had a chance to answer, but a shot by
sophomore Alex Merbach (Kaukauna, Wis./Fox Valley Lutheran) caromed
off the rim as the final horn sounded.
WLC, which led by a game-high 12 points with 11:49 left to play,
had the lead for the entire second half leading up Marian's
game-winning basket. The Warriors shot 32.4 percent in the second
half, while the Sabres shot 41.9 percent.
The first half saw an unprecedented 20 lead changes and eight
ties as neither team held no more than a three-point lead. The
Warriors took a 34-32 lead into halftime after freshman Tim Demuth
(Franksville, Wis./Racine Lutheran) nailed a three-pointer as the
first-half clock struck zeros. WLC held the lead at the half
despite shooting 32.0 percent. Marian countered with 41.7 percent
shooting.
Senior Kyle Madson (Madison, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) scored 16
points to pace three players in double figures for the Warriors.
Siemers added 15 points, while Demuth chipped in with 13 off the
bench. Merbach and Siemers each finished with a team-high six
rebounds.
The Warriors shot only 32.2 percent (19-for-59) from the field
for the game, but were aided by a 27-for-31 (87.1 percent)
performance from the charity stripe. Marian out-rebounded WLC 48-34
and owned a 14-4 margin in second-chance points.
Marian's (9-12, 6-7 NAC) Logan Rankin scored 23 points to lead
all scorers. Jeff Harris added 15 points off the bench, while Joel
Clark pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. The Sabres ended the
game with a 41.8 percent (23-for-55) shooting performance.
Wisconsin Lutheran (8-11, 7-5 NAC) continues its three-game road
swing on Wednesday when it travels to cross-town rival MSOE. Tip
time between the Warriors and Raiders is scheduled for 7 p.m. at
the Kern Center.
