MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) -Â Senior
Sam Leisemann (Fall River, Wis.) scored a career-high 23 points, but North Central erased a 10-point second half deficit by shooting 57 percent over the final two frames to claim a 70-67 win over Wisconsin Lutheran College on Friday at the Paul F. Knueppel Classic inside the Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (0-1) and Cardinals (1-0) were deadlocked 13-13 after the first quarter, as neither team held more than a three-point lead in the opening 10 minutes. WLC held NCC to just 2-for-13 from the floor, but the visitors made eight of their nine free throw attempts to even the score.
Wisconsin Lutheran grabbed the lead 3:07 into the second quarter on a jumper from Leisemann, and later used a 6-0 scoring spurt to tie its largest lead of the game of 10 points at 30-20 following a pair of free throws from junior
Ainsley Howard (Jefferson, Wis.) right before the halftime break. The Warriors went into the locker room leading 30-22.
WLC never relinquished the lead in the third quarter, as junior
Mack Hogenson (Neenah, Wis.) maintained the 10-point advantage with the first three-pointer of the game at the 6:03 mark for a 39-29 lead. North Central clawed back to within three points at 45-42 after three periods.
Wisconsin Lutheran netted the first four points of the fourth quarter, a layup from junior
Haley Ott (Germantown, Wis.) and two free throws from Leisemann. The Warriors remained in front 55-54 at the 4:46 mark, before an 8-0 scoring run by the Cardinals gave them their largest lead of the game. WLC made it a one possession game three times under the 1:20 mark, but couldn't quite get over the hump.
Leisemann led three Wisconsin Lutheran players in double figures with a career-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting. She also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Senior
Meggie Scott (Yorkville, Ill.) finished with 14 points, while Ott added 12. The Warriors shot 41.2 percent (21-for-51) from the floor.
WLC hosts North Park (0-2) tomorrow at 3:15 p.m. in the final game of the Paul F. Knueppel Classic. Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.
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