DE PERE - St. Norbert College moved into sole possession of third place with a convincing 78-59 win over Aurora University in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.
The Green Knights (11-9, 8-3 NACC) are a half-game in front of Milwaukee School of Engineering, Concordia University Wisconsin and Benedictine University and a full game in front of Aurora with five games remaining.
St. Norbert never trailed against the Spartans, firing out of the gate with a 14-2 lead.
Emma Morrisey and
Rose Hahn converted baskets on the Green Knights' first two possessions. Morrisey then made a pair of free throws and Aurora countered with two of its own. Hahn and Morrisey then splashed consecutive 3-pointers and Hahn with another jumper inside for a 14-2 lead with 6:11 left in the first quarter. The Spartans would work their way back to within four points twice late in the quarter before
Oakley Witteck's conventional three-point play sent St. Norbert into the quarter break with a 25-18 lead.
The Green Knights opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run behind a pair of baskets and two free throws from
Taylor Thiry, a free throw from Hahn and a jumper by
Chloe Gruszynski for a 34-18 edge with 4:42 left in the period. St. Norbert led by as many as 19 points in the quarter before
Kalina Winslow's basket just before halftime forged a 44-26 lead.
Aurora would get as close as 49-36 with 4:38 left in the third quarter, but an 8-2 run behind baskets by Thiry, Gruszynski,
Marnie Kahl and Thiry again put St. Norbert on top 57-40. The Green Knights led 62-45 after three quarters. St. Norbert opened the fourth quarter on consecutive treys by Morrisey and
Casey Jepson for a 68-45 lead with 9:27 left, and the Spartans would get no closer than 17 points the rest of the way.
St. Norbert shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) from the floor. Thiry had a team-high 17 points, while Morrisey added 15 points. Gruszynski came off the bench with 12 points, while Hahn added 10 points.
Aurora shot 40.4 percent (21-for-52) from the floor. Gabrielle Wolff and Macy Kocen led the Spartans with 14 points apiece.
