Box Score MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) – The top-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran College women's basketball team held second-seeded St. Norbert to five made field goals in the second half to overcome an earlier nine-point deficit and win its 11th Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament championship, 51-43, on Sunday afternoon inside the Recreation Complex.
- Final Score: No. 1 Wisconsin Lutheran 51, No. 2 St. Norbert 43
- Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (23-1), St. Norbert (19-8)
- Location: Recreation Complex, Milwaukee, Wis.
- Sophomore Sam Leisemann (Fall River, Wis.) got the Warriors going offensively with two quick layups out of the gate, but the Green Knights started the game on an 11-4 run, forcing WLC into committing six early turnovers.
- Freshman Mack Hogenson (Neenah, Wis.) hit two straight threes for Wisconsin Lutheran, contributing to an 8-1 run to close out the first quarter with the score tied at 12-12.
- The Green and White continued its hot shooting, with Hogenson swishing a deep three and sophomore Kaityln Shadoski (Janesville, Wis.) nailing one as well early in the second period.
- Leisemann stopped an 11-2 run by SNC, making an and-one layup and converting two free throws with under a minute to play in the half to trim down a nine-point deficit. The halftime score read 29-24 in favor of St. Norbert.
- Leisemann led all scorers through two quarters with 10 points and five rebounds, followed by Hogenson with nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from behind the arc. The Warriors were outscored 17-7 on points off turnovers, and held the lead for just 2:07 during the first two quarters of play.
- WLC closed the gap quickly in the opening minutes of the third quarter, with Shadoski making an and-one layup and senior Jenna Mace (Wisconsin Dells, Wis.) canning a three from the top of the key.
- The Green Knights responded with a quick 5-0 run of their own, but senior Ally Gough (Horicon, Wis.) answered with a three to tie the game at 34-34 apiece. After three quarters, Wisconsin Lutheran and SNC were knotted at 37-37.
- Mace drilled two three-pointers in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, contributing to the Warriors' 44-39 lead. She continued her hot shooting, making a crafty layup in the lane with five minutes left to play.
- Senior Kalies Birkholz (Watertown, Wis.) added to WLC's lead, making a tough layup inside the lane giving the hosts their biggest lead yet at 48-41.
- Sophomore Meggie Scott (Yorkville, Wis) sank two free throws for Wisconsin Lutheran to secure a 51-43 lead and win the NACC Tournament title.
- Mace and Leisemann led the Warriors with 13 points each. Leisemann also led WLC with 13 rebounds for a double-double.
- Hogenson chipped in nine points, Shadoski had five points and six rebounds, and Scott contributed five points.
- Wisconsin Lutheran shot 36.7 percent (18-for-49) for the game and 44.4 percent (8-for-18) from beyond the arc.
- The Green and White struggled at the line, making just seven of their 18 attempts.
- The Warriors receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. The NCAA will reveal its 64-team tournament bracket on Monday at 1:30 p.m. CST on NCAA.com.
