Wisconsin Lutheran Puts Away CUW With Big Second Half

MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - Senior Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) posted his first career double-double and Wisconsin Lutheran College shot 54.5 percent in the second half on its way to a 73-55 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win over Concordia Wisconsin on Wednesday at the Time of Grace Center.

The Warriors (6-1, 3-0 NACC), who won their fifth straight game, also earned their fourth straight victory in the series over the Falcons (1-7, 1-2 NACC).

WLC fell behind 9-1 a little over four minutes into the first half and didn't make a field goal until the 14:33 mark. Facing its largest deficit of the game at 17-8, Wisconsin Lutheran went on an 11-2 scoring run to knot the contest at 19-19 with 6:44 remaining in the opening half. The Warriors erased a five-point deficit by finishing the first half on a 9-0 run. Two free throws and a layup from senior Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) gave WLC its first lead of the game and a four-point advantage, 32-28, at halftime. Goetz had 10 points at the break for Wisconsin Lutheran, which shot 33.3 percent from the field.

CUW found itself trailing 38-36 four minutes into the second half, but a 9-0 scoring run by the Warriors gave them their first double-digit lead of the game. WLC's advantage never dropped into single digits and five straight points from sophomore Austin Wagner (Jackson, Wis.) put the hosts ahead 54-40 with 10:35 remaining. The lead grew to a game-high 19 points at the 4:46 mark on a layup from Broeckel, who scored 10 points in the second half. Wisconsin Lutheran heated up in the final 20 minutes, connecting on 54.5 percent of its shots.

Goetz finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, both game highs, for his first career double-double. He added five assists and four steals. Broeckel posted 17 points and seven rebounds, while senior Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) added 14 points and four three-pointers. Senior Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) chipped in with nine points and nine rebounds. The Warriors, who outscored Concordia Wisconsin in all five specialty categories, shot 43.5 percent (30-for-69) from the floor for the game.

Freeman Jackson led three Falcons players in double figures with 16 points. CUW shot 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the field.

WLC hosts UW-La Crosse (5-4) on Saturday at 5 p.m. in its final home game of 2023. Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.