WAVERLY, Iowa (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College trailed by just three points late, but had its 18-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of seventh-ranked Wartburg, 72-65, on Friday in a 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament First Round game at Levick Arena.
The Warriors (23-5), who made 12 three-pointers and had four players score in double figures, couldn't overcome the Knights' (26-2) 52.3 percent shooting.Â
WLC fell behind 9-3 less than two minutes in, but a 7-2 spurt cut the deficit to one at 11-10 following a three from junior
Lexy Smit (Brandon, Wis.). Wisconsin Lutheran trailed 14-13 following a three from senior
Meggie Scott (Yorkville, Ill.) with 4:21 left, but WC closed the opening quarter on a 10-3 run for a 24-16 lead. Scott and freshman
Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.) had six points apiece in the first quarter.
The Warriors found themselves down 29-20 less than two minutes into the second quarter. Shortly after, two threes from junior
Mack Hogenson (Neenah, Wis.) and another from Scott capped a 9-0 scoring run to give WLC its first lead of the game, 34-33, with 2:10 left before halftime. Wartburg closed with remainder of the half on an 8-0 run to take a 41-34 halftime lead. Hogenson tallied six second-quarter points to lead Wisconsin Lutheran.
The Knights opened up a game-high 11-point lead two minutes into the third quarter, but the Warriors responded with an 11-3 run to come within three following a layup from sophomore
Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.). WC netted the final four points of the evenly-matched quarter for a 54-47 advantage entering the fourth.
Wartburg scored the first two points of the fourth quarter and later led by 11 at 63-52 with 3:26 left. Back-to-back threes from Hogenson and Smit cut the deficit down to five, and another Hogenson triple and Scott free throw had WLC within three with a minute remaining. The Knights answered with a bucket and made five of their next six three throws to seal the win.
Scott and Hogenson led Wisconsin Lutheran with 13 points each. Smit and senior
Sam Leisemann (Fall River, Wis.) added 10 points apiece. Stevens led the team with six rebounds. The Warriors shot 47.9 percent (23-for-48) for the game, including 41.4 percent from three-point range. WLC's 12 triples were its second-most in a game this season.
Jaedon Murphy scored a game-high 26 points to lead WC, which also got 17 points from Sara Faber. Wartburg, which advances to host Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday in a second round matchup, shot 52.3 percent (23-for-44) for the game.Â
Wisconsin Lutheran finishes its 2023-2024 season 23-5 overall and 15-1 in the NACC. The Warriors won their 12th NACC Tournament title and made their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance.
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