Box Score
Box score
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - An 8-0 run from
fifth-ranked Calvin late in the second half proved to be too much
for the Wisconsin Lutheran College women's basketball team as it
saw its season come to an end 59-47 Friday in an NCAA Tournament
First Round game at the Van Noord Arena.
The Warriors came out with some nerves as they turned the ball
over on their first two possessions and fell down 3-0 just over a
minute into play. On the ensuing possession, Alyssa Allister (Lake
Mills, Wis./Lakeside Lutheran) got Wisconsin Lutheran on the board
with a three-point basket.
Turnovers kept plaguing WLC early as the visitors had 10
turnovers in the first 12 minutes and fell behind 16-10 with 7:50
remaining in the opening half.
Calvin pushed that lead to a first-half best eight points,
18-10, with 6:58 on the clock, but WLC responded with the next six
points to cut its deficit to just two at 18-16 with 4:33 remaining
in the first half. Little scoring was done over the final stages of
the half as the host Knights went into the locker room with a 22-17
advantage.
Wisconsin Lutheran struggled offensively in the first half as it
shot just 25.9 percent (7-for-27) from the floor and committed 13
turnovers. Calvin was held to 28.6 percent (8-for-28) shooting as
the home team committed just six first-half turnovers.
Allister and Kristen Schulz (Safford, Ariz./Arizona Lutheran)
led a balanced WLC first-half attack as both players had four
points. Rachel Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) grabbed
a first-half high six rebounds as Wisconsin Lutheran controlled the
glass in the opening half, out-rebounding the Knights, 25-15.
Calvin's Kayla Engelhard led the Knights in the half with a
first-half high six points, while Ally Wolffis chipped in with five
points. The Warriors did an outstanding job in the first half on
three-time Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player of
the Year Carissa Verkaik, holding her to just two points and zero
rebounds.
WLC quickly cut the deficit to two as Krissy Day (West Allis,
Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) buried a three-point shot on its first
possession after the break. The Warriors then evened things up at
26-26 on a Schulz basket, but the Knights quickly pushed the lead
back to six at 34-28 with 14:10 remaining in the game.
Calvin expanded its lead to eight, 37-29, with 13:06 remaining
before Wisconsin Lutheran cut its deficit to four at 37-33. Calvin
again pushed its lead back to seven at 42-35 but the Wisconsin
Lutheran responded with four points from Johnson, trimming the lead
back to 42-39 with 6:28 remaining in the contest forcing Calvin to
call a timeout.
The timeout worked in the Knights' favor as they scored the next
eight points to go up 50-39 with 3:38 on the clock, causing WLC to
call a timeout of its own.
A Johnson lay-up cut the lead to 50-41 before Calvin went back
up by 11 points, 52-41. The Warriors got another lay-up from Dillon
to trim the margin to nine, 52-43, with 1:43 remaining in the game.
Wisconsin Lutheran was forced to foul from that point on and Calvin
made seven of eight free-throws in the final two minutes to secure
the 59-47 victory.
Wisconsin Lutheran connected on 31.1 percent (19-for-61)
shooting for the game, compared to 36.4 percent (20-for-55) for
Calvin. WLC turned the ball over 20 times that led to 17 points for
the hosts, while the Warriors scored just eight points off 12
Calvin turnovers.
Johnson finished her career with a team-high 12 points, while
also pulling down seven rebounds. Schulz posted a double-double
with 10 points, 13 rebounds and blocked five shots. Freshman
Katelyn Kuehl (Fond du Lac, Wis./Winnebago Lutheran) added 10
rebounds as Wisconsin Lutheran out-rebounded Calvin, 45-35.
Verkaik got going in the second half for Calvin as she finished
with 19 points, making seven of nine second-half shots. Engelhard
added 14 points and Julia HIlbrands led the Knights with nine
rebounds. Calvin (26-1) moves onto Saturday's Second Round when its
hosts Wis.-Stevens Point (24-4) at 7:30 p.m. The Pointers advanced
after defeating Franklin (Ind.) 61-58 in Friday's other first round
game.
Wisconsin Lutheran concludes another impressive season with an
overall record of 24-5, winning its fourth straight NAC division
title and second straight NAC Tournament championship. Seniors
Rachel Johnson and Jenna Neuberger (Muskego, Wis./Wisconsin
Lutheran) concluded their careers with a four-year record of
85-29.
Postgame
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