Missed Opportunities Haunt WLC In First Round OT Loss At WashU

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (WLCSports.com) - Senior Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) scored a game-high 24 points and Wisconsin Lutheran College overcame a 13-point deficit to force overtime, but WashU held on for a 71-68 win on Friday in a 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament First Round game at WU Field House.

The Warriors (24-5) took their first lead of the game on their first possession of overtime, but the Bears (19-7) answered with seven straight points to escape with the win on their homecourt.

WashU scored the first 10 points of the contest to jump ahead of WLC two minutes in. The Bears built a 22-9 advantage with nine minutes left in the first half and still held a 10-point lead at the 6:09 mark. A 5-0 spurt capped by a three from senior AJ Vos (Lombard, Ill.) cut the deficit down to just four at 30-26 with 3:30 left. A layup from senior Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) had Wisconsin Lutheran within five at 35-30 at the break. Stoltz scored nine points to lead the Warriors, who shot 38.2 percent from the floor.

A Stoltz three-pointer two-and-a-half minutes into the second half put the Warriors within three points at 36-33. WashU responded with a 10-0 scoring run to match its largest lead of the game at the 13:36 mark. WLC still trailed by 10 points with 10:48 to play, before a 9-2 spurt brought the deficit down to three following a Vos layup. Layups from senior Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.) and Stoltz capped a 6-0 run to even the score for the first time at 56-56 with 4:36 remaining. WashU knocked down a three on the next possession and still led 60-58 after making one of two free throws with 18 seconds on the clock. A driving layup from Stoltz evened the score at 60-60 and the Bears' game winning shot attempt missed left to send the game to an extra session.

A turnaround jumper from Stoltz on Wisconsin Lutheran's first possession of overtime gave itself the lead for the first time. WashU tied the game on its next possession, but a free throw from Stoltz and a layup from Goetz gave the Warriors a 65-62 lead with 2:28 left. The Bears got a late three with the shot clock winding down on their next possession to tie the score again. WLC missed its next three free throw attempts with a chance to tie or take the lead and WashU hit two free throws for a 69-65 lead with 15 seconds left. Stoltz sank a three out of a timeout and Wisconsin Lutheran trailed by one with just nine seconds on the clock. The Bears hit two free throws following a foul in the front court and the Warriors were unable to get a potential game-tying three off in time before the final horn sounded.

Stoltz led all scorers with 24 points on 10-for-20 from the floor. Goetz finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Vos added 11 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. WLC shot 38.4 percent (28-for-73) from the floor, but just 28.6 percent (4-for-14) from the charity stripe. 

Calvin Kapral and Kyle Beedon scored 17 points each for WashU, which also got 16 rebounds from Yogi Oliff. The Bears, who advance to host Illinois College in the second round on Saturday, shot 34.3 percent (24-for-70) for the game and held a 19-6 advantage in second chance points.

Wisconsin Lutheran finishes its season with a 24-5 overall record and 16-2 in the NACC for its fourth conference title in the last five years. The Warriors made their second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and first since 2006.