MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - Senior
AJ Vos (Lombard, Ill.) tied a career high with 21 points to lead four players in double figures and top-seeded Wisconsin Lutheran College punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the first time since 2006 following a 78-62 wire-to-wire win over second-seeded St. Norbert on Saturday in the NACC Tournament Final at the Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (24-4), who snapped a three-game losing streak to the Green Knights (22-6), won their 10th straight game and improved to 15-0 on Catalyst Court this season after winning the NACC Tournament title for second time in four years.
WLC held SNC scoreless for the first five minutes of the contest as it jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind four points from senior
Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.). St. Norbert responded with a 10-2 run of its own, resulting in a 12-10 score with 13:16 remaining. Both teams went back-and-forth trading baskets, and Wisconsin Lutheran held a 24-17 lead with 4:28 left on the clock. A deep three from senior
Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) put the Warriors back up 10, but a basket from the Green Knights on their final possession of the half cut it back down to single digits, as WLC took a 32-24 lead into the locker room. Hefle had 11 first-half points on 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
A back-and-forth start from both teams resulted in SNC cutting the lead to just three at 38-35 with 16:33 remaining. The Warriors responded with a 14-1 run, led by seven points from Vos to push the lead to 16 at 52-36 with 11 minutes remaining. St. Norbert answered with a 6-0 spurt, but a three from senior
Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) silenced the run and forced a Green Knights timeout as Wisconsin Lutheran led 57-44 with 7:55 to play. The Warriors' lead remained above double-digits and a fastbreak slam by Vos with 1:19 remaining gave WLC its largest lead of the game of 17 points.
Vos paced four players in double figures with a game- and career-high tying 21 points along with five rebounds. Stoltz finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Goetz had 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Hefle chipped in 13 points and senior
Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) filled up the stat sheet with eight points and game-highs of 15 rebounds and six assists. The Warriors shot 42.1 percent (24-for-57) from the floor.
Garrett Grzesk led the Green Knights with 15 points, as they shot 38.3 percent (23-for-60) from the floor.
WLC will find out its NCAA Division III Tournament destination on Monday, Feb. 26 during the championship selection show that will be broadcast at 12 p.m. on NCAA.com.
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