Men's Basketball Bounces Back Big Over IIT

MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - Junior Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) scored a game-high 27 points to lead Wisconsin Lutheran College to a 94-70 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win over Illinois Tech on Saturday at the Time of Grace Center.

The Warriors (16-7, 13-3 NACC), who shot 52.9 percent and scored at least 90 points for the sixth time this year, were in a back-and-forth battle with the Scarlet Hawks (10-13, 8-7 NACC) early on. Trailing 18-17 at the 9:35 mark of the first half, WLC ripped off a 12-0 scoring run to take control of the half, which featured six lead changes and two ties.

Wisconsin Lutheran, which converted 14 IIT turnovers into 15 first-half points, took its largest lead of the opening 20 minutes just before the break at 38-24. The Warriors shot 43.8 percent as Broeckel and junior Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) tallied 13 and 11 points, respectively.

After the teams exchanged buckets for the first two minutes of the second half, WLC used a 9-0 scoring run, its largest of the half, to take command for a 50-29 lead with 16:04 remaining. Wisconsin Lutheran's lead never dropped below 19 points over the final 15:38 of the contest.

An 8-0 run pushed the Warriors' advantage to a game-high 27 points after senior Simeon Strauss' (Chicago, Ill.) three-pointer with 6:36 left to play. WLC torched the nets for 60.5 percent shooting in the second half and 34 of its 56 points came in the paint.

Broeckel led all players in the game with 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting and seven rebounds. Stoltz finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while junior Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) added 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. For the game, Wisconsin Lutheran shot 52.9 percent (37-for-70) and outscored Illinois Tech 27-11 in turnovers and 58-22 in the paint.

Desmond Price scored 22 points to pace three players in double figures for the Scarlet Hawks, who shot 45.6 percent (26-for-57) in the game.

The Warriors, who have a half-game lead in the NACC standings, host Cardinal Stritch (1-26) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for Senior Night. Live coverage links will be available at WLCSports.com.