ROCKFORD, Ill. - St. Norbert College forced overtime with a basket at the end of regulation but couldn't slow down Rockford University in overtime and suffered an 87-85 setback in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game at Seaver Center.
Evan Glaser's jumper to beat the buzzer at the end of regulation sent St. Norbert to overtime, but Rockford made 5 of 7 field-goal attempts in the extra five minutes to beat the Green Knights for the second time this season.
St. Norbert canned 18 of 28 field-goal attempts in the first half, including 8 of 11 three-point attempts. The Green Knights built a 36-22 lead with 7:03 left in the half on a
Carter Gebler basket before settling on a 49-40 halftime lead.
Rockford opened the second half on a 10-0 run as St. Norbert had 11 empty possessions to open the period. Despite the cold snap, St. Norbert did hold a 60-54 lead with 10:13 remaining. The Regents came again, however, with a 15-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 69-62 lead with 6:20 left. Rockford kept its lead until St. Norbert tied it on Glaser's jumper in the paint to knot the score 75-75. The Green Knights were just 9-for-32 (28.1 percent) from the floor in the second half.
St. Norbert tied the game at 83-83 on a Gebler basket with 2:09 left in overtime, but Rockford scored the next four points, the last hoop coming with 20 seconds left after a St. Norbert turnover.
Garrett Grzesk made a pair of free throws with 8 seconds left, and Rockford missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 6 seconds to go. St. Norbert rebounded but a potential game-winning 3-pointer was off the mark as time expired.
The Green Knights were 31-for-70 (44.3 percent) from the floor for the game and were outrbeounded 43-35.
Michael Payant led St. Norbert with 19 points and 17 rebounds, while
Jacob Bolwerk added 15 points. Glaser and Gebler had 13 points apiece.
Rockford shot 51.5 percent from the floor, making 34 of 66 field-goal attempts, and all five starters reached double figures. Jaden Bell led the Regents with 16 points, while TJ Lacey and Charles Burnell had 15 points apiece.
