DE PERE - St. Norbert College had a successful Senior Day as the Green Knights pulled away from Concordia University Chicago in a 75-46 win in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game on Connie Tilley Court at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.
The Green Knights (20-3, 16-0 NACC) clinched at least a share of the NACC regular-season title, its first since joining the conference starting in 2021-22. It is the women's basketball program's 19th overall conference title, with St. Norbert winning 14 in the Midwest Conference and four in the Wisconsin Independent Colleges-Women's Athletic Conference. St. Norbert leads second-place Wisconsin Lutheran College by two games with two games remaining, and can clinch the outright title and the No. 1 seeding in the NACC Tournament with one win next week.
St. Norbert started slowly, falling behind the Cougars 18-10 just over seven minutes into the contest. The Green Knights closed the quarter on a 7-0 run, getting a hoop from
Casey Jepson, a 3-pointer from
Emma Morrisey and another jumper in the paint on a leaner from Jepson to get to within 18-17 after 10 minutes.
Concordia opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer to go ahead by four, but St. Norbert then went on a 10-2 run to take a 27-23 lead on a Jepson layup with 4:17 left. The Green Knights held their lead the rest of the way, with Jepson's trey just before halftime sending them into the locker room up 35-28 at the break.
St. Norbert would score the first four points of the third quarter on baskets by
Kaycee Gierczak and Morrisey. An
Olivia DeCleene steal and layup would give St. Norbert a 43-32 lead with 6:43 left in the period, and the Green Knights' lead would not drop below double digits the rest of the way. The Green Knights led 51-38 at the end of the third quarter.
The Green Knights led 56-43 with 7:48 remaining before going on a 15-0 run to salt away the win.
St. Norbert shot 42.6 percent (29-for-68) from the floor. Gierczak led the Green Knights with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Jepson added 13 points. DeCleene posted six points along with nine rebounds and 11 assists.
Concordia shot 30.9 percent (17-for-55) from the floor. Mikalah Ellis led the Cougars with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
