Box Score ROCKFORD, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – In a tightly contested game that featured 12 ties and nine lead changes, the Wisconsin Lutheran College men's basketball team dropped an 84-80 decision to Rockford on Saturday afternoon inside the Seaver Center. Senior Alex VanCrete (Green Lake, Wis.) scored 18 points to lead three players in double figures for the Warriors, who lost consecutive games for the first time this season.
- Final Score: Rockford 84, Wisconsin Lutheran 80
- Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (12-5, 7-4 NACC), Rockford (10-6, 4-5 NACC)
- Location: Seaver Center, Rockford, Ill.
- Sophomore Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) gave the Warriors an early 3-2 lead with the first of seven made threes in the first half for the visitors. The Regents responded with a 7-0 scoring run, forcing a WLC timeout. Trailing 15-7 at the 14:14 mark of the opening half, Wisconsin Lutheran went on a 14-3 run, highlighted by threes from juniors Trevor Stiede (Pulaski, Wis.) and Simeon Strauss (Chicago, Ill.) and sophomore Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) to jump ahead 21-18.
- The Green and White grabbed a six-point advantage at 31-25, their largest lead of the game, after another three from Strauss with four minutes remaining before halftime. Rockford closed out the final 3:28 of the half on a 10-3 run to take a two-point lead, 35-33, into intermission.
- A 7-0 spurt to start the second half gave the Warriors a 40-35 lead after a jumper from Strauss. The Regents answered with a 12-2 run to jump back in front 47-42 with 14:20 remaining in the second half. WLC went back ahead 54-53 after a pair of free throws from sophomore Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.).
- Wisconsin Lutheran faced its largest deficit of the game at 67-58 after a Regents 14-4 run with 7:25 left on the clock. The Green and White wouldn't go away, however, as they used a 14-4 run of their own to regain the lead at 74-73 after a three-point play from VanCrete at the 3:10 mark.
- Facing a three-point deficit at 80-77 with 0:33 seconds left, the Warriors had five opportunities from three-point range to tie the game, but could not knock one down from deep. Rockford iced the game with a layup just before time expired.
- VanCrete scored a team-high 18 points to pace three players in double figures. Strauss finished with 12 points and Stoltz added 10.
- Senior Zach Zuleger (West Bend, Wis.) grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds and Goetz dished out seven assists.
- WLC shot 42.2 percent (27-for-64) for the game and was plagued by an 18-6 deficit in second-chance points.
- After five straight road games, the Warriors return home on Tuesday to host Marian (11-6, 7-5 NACC) at 7 p.m. for their first of three home games next week. Live coverage links will be available for the game at WLCSports.com.
