DE PERE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – St. Norbert used pivotal runs in the second and third quarter to pull away from Wisconsin Lutheran College for a 64-53 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory on Wednesday at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.
The first quarter featured seven ties and two lead changes before the Warriors (9-5, 6-1 NACC) used a 7-0 spurt to take their largest lead of the opening frame at 17-11 with three minutes left. WLC carried a 19-15 lead into the second quarter behind six points from junior
Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.) and five from sophomore
Abby Cole (Fond du Lac, Wis.).
Wisconsin Lutheran pushed its lead to a game-high eight points early in the second quarter behind baskets from senior
Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) and Stevens, but momentum swung midway through the period. The Green Knights (8-5, 7-0 NACC) responded with a decisive 15-0 run over a six-minute span to lead by seven points at 30-23. The Warriors came within a point at 30-29 after a three-pointer from Cole with 1:24 remaining, but SNC carried a 32-29 lead into halftime.
WLC scored the first four points of the third quarter to take a brief lead at 33-32 two-and-half minutes in. St. Norbert answered with a 13-2 run to jump in front by double digits with just under two minutes left. A three-pointer from freshman
Lauren Riesop (Phoenix, Ariz.) cut the deficit to seven at 45-38 after three quarters.
The Green Knights stretched their lead to a game-high 11 points three times throughout the fourth quarter. Wisconsin Lutheran came within six points at the 1:41 mark after two free throws from freshman
Maddie Ratzow (Oconomowoc, Wis.), but SNC sunk seven of eight free throws down the stretch to close out the victory.
The Warriors shot 30.2 percent (19-of-63) from the field. Stevens led WLC with 16 points, while Cole added 10. Hill recorded a team-high 10 rebounds, nine points, and five steals.
St. Norbert finished the night shooting 46.0 percent (23-of-50). Taylor Thiry scored 16 points and Rose Hahn added 15. Oakley Witteck pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
Wisconsin Lutheran returns to action Saturday, January 17, traveling to Benedictine (10-4, 5-2 NACC) for a 1 p.m. tip. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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