MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College put together its most efficient offensive performance of the season and pulled away in the second half for a 72-52 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference victory over Rockford on Saturday at Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (4-13, 2-8 NACC) scored the first eight points of the game before the Regents (8-9, 5-5 NACC) responded with the next 10 to take a 10-8 lead with 10:55 remaining in the first half. After some back-and-forth, WLC used a 14-0 run over a six-minute stretch to take a 27-12 lead with 1:30 left on the clock. RU went on to score the final five points of the half as Wisconsin Lutheran headed to the locker room up 29-19. Freshmen
Bryce Appel (Edgerton, Wis.) and
Isaiah Mellock (Greendale, Wis.) combined for 20 first-half points for the Warriors.
WLC opened the second half by stretching the margin even further, knocking down five three-pointers in the first nine minutes to push the lead past 20. A senior
Ja'Quell Chisom (Milwaukee, Wis.) triple at the 11:12 mark capped a 21-4 run and gave WLC its largest lead of the afternoon at 53-27. Wisconsin Lutheran, which shot 66.7 percent (14-for-21) in the second half, maintained control the rest of the way, leading for nearly 38 minutes.
The Warriors finished the game shooting a season-best 52.2 percent (24-for-46) from the field and a season-high 55.0 percent (11-for-20) from three-point range. Appel led all scorers with a season-high 23 points, while Chisom added 16 and Mellock chipped in 15. Sophomore
Lucas Anamndu (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) tallied 12 points and a career-high seven assists. Chisom also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds to pace WLC on the glass.
Wisconsin Lutheran held notable advantages in several specialty areas, including defensive rebounds (34-18) and assists (17-12). The Warriors' 17 assists and 34 defensive rebounds were both season highs.
RU struggled offensively, shooting 32.8 percent (20-for-61) from the floor and 18.8 percent (6-for-32) from beyond the arc. Jaden Bell scored 12 points to lead Rockford, with Luke Stuckey adding nine. Tre Miller pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
WLC returns to action on Wednesday, January 28, when it travels to MSOE (11-7, 9-2 NACC) for a 7 p.m. crosstown conference matchup. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
