Box Score DE PERE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – The sixth-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran College men's basketball team erased a 14-point deficit in the first half and took a two-point lead with 1:25 left in the game, but third-seeded host St. Norbert tied the contest shortly after and pulled away in overtime for an 87-78 win over the Warriors on Wednesday night in a NACC Tournament Quarterfinal game inside the Mulva Family Fitness and Sports Center. The loss ends WLC's season with a 16-9 overall record.
- Final Score: No. 3 St. Norbert 87, No. 6 Wisconsin Lutheran 78 (OT)
- Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (16-9), St. Norbert (16-9)
- Location: Mulva Family Fitness and Sports Center, De Pere, Wis.
- The Green Knights opened the game with a 19-5 lead as the Warriors started out cold, converting just two field goals in the opening 13 minutes of the win-or-go-home matchup.
- A three-pointer by sophomore Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) brought the deficit down to 10, with the score reading 19-9 in favor of SNC with seven minutes left in the first half.
- Sophomore Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) sank two free throws and senior Zach Zuleger (West Bend, Wis.) finished a contested layup to cut St. Norbert's lead to eight at the 1:20 mark.
- Senior Drew Bernhagen (Markesan, Wis.) hit a tough fade-away jumper as the first-half clock expired, but the Green Knights still held a 28-18 lead heading into halftime.
- WLC shot just 17.2 percent (5-for-29) from the field in the first half, as SNC led by as many as 14 points in the opening period.
- Sophomore Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) opened the second half by converting a contested layup. Stoltz added an old-fashioned three-point play, cutting the deficit to seven three minutes into the period.
- Hefle drilled a three-pointer from the corner four minutes in, cutting St. Norbert's lead to just three.
- With nine minutes remaining in the game, senior Alex VanCrete (Green Lake, Wis.) tied the game at 49-49 with a driving layup. VanCrete knocked down two free throws as Wisconsin Lutheran took its first lead of the game at 55-54 with 6:44 left.
- Broeckel brought the visitors to within one at 64-63 after the Green Knights had built their lead back to five.
- Junior Trevor Stiede (Pulaski, Wis.) drained a deep three to give the Green and White a two-point lead at 66-64 with just 1:25 left.
- SNC tied the game two possessions later, and missed a halfcourt shot as time expired to send the game to overtime.
- Sophomore Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) started overtime off with a crafty drive in the basket, giving the Warriors a two-point lead.
- St. Norbert responded with a 7-0 run, and led WLC by five with three minutes left in the overtime period.
- The Green Knights extended their lead to eight in the final minute of overtime as they made seven of their last eight free throw attempts.
- Goetz led three players in double figures for Wisconsin Lutheran with 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Stiede added 13 points off the bench and Broeckel finished with 10 on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting.
- Zuleger led the team with five rebounds, while Broeckel and VanCrete had three steals apiece.
- The Green and White concluded the contest shooting 41.7 percent (30-for-72) from the floor, including a blistering 65.5 percent (19-for-29) in the second half.
- The Warriors wrap up their 2021-2022 season 16-9 overall and 10-7 in the NACC. The conference tournament appearance was the third straight for WLC.
