STEVENS POINT - St. Norbert College used an impressive finishing kick over the final 67 seconds to storm to a 55-50 non-conference win over UW-Stevens Point at Berg Gym.
The Green Knights remained unbeaten at 3-0 on the young season, while Stevens Point - which knocked off No. 14 Millikin University last weekend in Whitewater - dropped to 3-1.
St. Norbert looked to be in a bit of trouble when the Pointers' Kelly McIntyre converted a conventional three-point play for a 50-47 lead with 1:18 left, which also fouled Green Knights' standout forward
Kaycee Gierczak out of the game. The Green Knights countered quickly, when
Natalie Cerrato banged in a 3-pointer from just to the right of the top of the key with 1:07 left to square the game at 50-50.
Stevens Point missed a short shot with 36 seconds left on its ensuing possession. The Green Knights ran the clock down and
Olivia DeCleene's layup with nine seconds left put St. Norbert up 52-50. An offensive foul on Stevens Point gave St. Norbert the ball back, and DeCleene split a pair of free throws with two seconds left for a three-point lead. The Pointers again turned it over and
Rose Hahn's two free throws with 0.3 seconds left salted away the victory.
St. Norbert got off to a red-hot start, taking a 12-2 lead five minutes into the game behind 3-pointers from
Emma Morrisey and Cerrato. Four-straight turnovers allowed the Pointers to get back into the game, with the home team going on an 11-0 run to close out the quarter for a 13-12 lead after 10 minutes. Stevens Point kept its lead through the second quarter, leading 26-22 at halftime.
The Green Knights tied the game at 28-28 early in the third quarter before Stevens Point regained a slim lead. Morrisey gave St. Norbert a 35-34 lead with 3:00 left in the third quarter, but McIntyre scored for Stevens Point 10 seconds later - which held up for a 36-35 lead after the third quarter. The Pointers had a pair of six-point leads in the fourth quarter, but the Green Knights battled back to a pair of ties - the last one with 1:36 left on a Gierczak basket to tie the score at 47-47 to set up the game's tense final moments.
St. Norbert shot 35.8 percent (19-for-53) from the floor.
Chloe Gruszynski finished with 13 points, while Morrisey added 10 points. The Green Knights were outrebounded 48-29 but hectored Stevens Point into committing 25 turnovers.
Stevens Point shot 28.6 percent (16-for-56) from the field. McIntyre came off the bench to lead Stevens Point with 12 points.
