Hefle's Career Day Highlights WLC's Big Win At CUC

RIVER FOREST, Ill. (WLCSports.com) - Senior Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) made seven three-pointers and scored a career-high 23 points to lead Wisconsin Lutheran College to a 90-70 wire-to-wire Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win over Concordia Chicago on Saturday at Geiseman Gymnasium.

The Warriors (5-1, 2-0 NACC), who shot a season-high 56 percent (14-for-25) from three-point range, never trailed in their win over the Cougars (3-4, 1-2 NACC). 

WLC jumped out to an 18-9 lead over CUC following a three-pointer from senior Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) at the 15:38 mark of the first half. Concordia Chicago came within two points after a 7-0 scoring run, but it would be as close as the hosts would get all afternoon.

Wisconsin Lutheran held a double-digit lead from the 5:18 mark of the first half on. An 11-2 run lifted the Warriors' lead to a first-half high 18 points for the first time at 43-25 with 3:12 remaining after Broeckel's jumper in the paint. WLC maintained the 18-point halftime advantage, 48-30, after shooting 51.5 percent in the first half, including 55.6 percent (10-for-18) from beyond the arc. Hefle and senior Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) scored 12 points, each canning four three-pointers in the opening half.

Wisconsin Lutheran's second-half lead never went below 18 points, as it led by at least 20 for the final 17:31 of the game. The Warriors' advantage ballooned to a game-high 28 points at 70-42 with 12:27 remaining following a Broeckel layup. Eight different players reached the scoring column over the final 20 minutes for the Warriors, who were led by Hefle's 11 second-half points.

Hefle paced three players in double figures with a career-high 23 points on 7-for-9 from three-point range. He also dished out five assists. Stoltz finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Broeckel added 15 points, four rebounds, and three steals.

Senior Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) flirted with a triple-double, tallying a career-high 11 assists, along with nine points, and nine rebounds. Senior AJ Vos (Lombard, Ill.) totaled eight rebounds and tied a career-high with four blocks.

WLC shot 50 percent (32-for-64) from the floor for the game, its second-best shooting performance of the season.

Jacob Collicott was the lone Cougars player in double figures with 11 points, as CUC shot 36 percent (27-for-75) from the field for the contest.

Wisconsin Lutheran hosts NACC foe Concordia Wisconsin (1-6, 1-1 NACC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.