MEQUON - St. Norbert College moved into sole possession of second play in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference by surviving a 69-64 win over Concordia University Wisconsin at Buuck Fieldhouse.
St. Norbert (10-5, 7-1 NACC) moved a game ahead of Concordia (7-5, 6-2) in the NACC standings and remained within a game of first-place Wisconsin Lutheran (12-0, 8-0).
The first quarter featured four ties and three lead changes before St. Norbert pulled ahead at the end of the period on an
Olivia DeCleene 3-pointer. The second quarter featured four more ties and two lead changes. The game was tied 20-20 with 6:20 left in the period until
Jessica Boerner hit a basket for St. Norbert just 16 seconds later. Neither team would score until the 3:47 mark, when
Casey Jepson converted a fastbreak layup for a 24-20 lead. The Falcons scored the next four points, but Jepson's 3-pointer with 35 seconds left in the quarter gave St. Norbert a 27-24 halftime lead.
A frenetic third quarter totaled three ties and eight lead changes. Concordia had a 40-39 lead after a Paige Zirbel 3-pointer with 2:26 left in the period, but
Emma Morrisey made a pair of free throws 10 seconds later for a 41-40 St. Norbert edge.
Sarah Chouinard then banged in a 3-pointer a possession later for a 44-40 lead, and
Kaycee Gierczak hit a jumper for a 46-40 lead with 1:20 to go, which held up through the end of the quarter.
St. Norbert led by as many as nine points early in the fourth quarter, and held a 61-53 lead with 3:37 remaining on a Gierczak basket. The Green Knights got the lead back to nine at 64-55 with 1:14 left on a pair of DeCleene free throws. The Falcons would whittle the lead down to 67-64 with 15 seconds left, but a pair of DeCleene free throws effectively decided the outcome. St. Norbert was 7-for-8 at the free-throw line in the final 74 seconds.
St. Norbert shot 42.6 percent (26-for-61) from the floor. Gierczak led the Green Knights with 17 points and 11 rebounds. DeCleeme added 13 points and six assists, while Jepson finished with 12 points and five rebounds. St. Norbert committed just 12 turnovers in the game.
Concordia shot 39 percent (23-for-59) from the floor. Reagan Obry led the Falcons with 16 points, while Deidre Lassiter addeed 13 points and Camryn Szolyga 12 points.
