LISLE, Ill. - St. Norbert College dropped a tough 61-59 decision to Benedictine University in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game at Rice Center.

In a game where neither team led by more than three points the last 17 1/2 minutes of the game, the Green Knights had two chances in the final 10 seconds to steal the win. Trailing 60-59, a St. Norbert jumper was awry with 7 seconds left. Benedictine then missed both free throws but St. Norbert turned the ball over with three seconds to go. The Eagles split a pair of free throws with a second left but the Green Knights could only rebound the miss as time expired.

Benedictine (11-8, 9-3) started the game hot, leading 40-29 at halftime thanks to making 15 of 25 (60 percent) of its first-half field goal attempts. The Green Knights responded in a big way to open the second half, starting the third quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 42-40 lead. Emma Morrisey had five points during the run, while Jessica Boerner had four points. The game settled into a hotly contested affair the rest of the way, with Benedictine leading 49-48 at the end of the third quarter.

St. Norbert was able to tie the game three times in the third quarter, but could not retake the lead. The Green Knights tied the game at 57-57 with 2:09 left on a Kaycee Gierczak fastbreak jumper, but Alex Fanning's conventional three-point play with 57 seconds left gave the Eagles the lead for good.

The Green Knights shot 24-for-59 (40.7 percent) from the floor. Olivia DeCleene led St. Norbert with 14 points, while Gierczak added 13 points. Morrisey and Boerner had 10 points apiece.

Benedictine shot 20-for-48 (41.7 percent) from the field, but was just 5-for-23 (21.7 percent) in the second half. Fanning led the Eagles with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Claire Gibler also added 18 points.