SUPERIOR - St. Norbert College held off UW-Superior down the stretch as the Green Knights fought their way to a 64-56 win in a non-conference game at Mertz Mortorelli Gym.
The Green Knights (4-2) closed the first half on a 9-2 run to take a one-point lead at halftime and then led for the final 9:46 to get the win.
St. Norbert found itself in arrears 16-9 just over eight minutes into the game. The Yellowjackets eventually led 20-12 with 8:57 left in the first half before the Green Knights methodically got back into the game. Trailing 25-19,
Cole Uhlenbrauck (pictured) got the run started with a hoop at the 5:24 mark and followed with a 3-pointer on the next possession to make it 25-24.
Charlie Geske's turnaround jumper gave St. Norbert the lead at 3:24 and
Ryan Cox added a driving layup at 2:33 for a 28-25 lead. Superior would get a pair of free throws before neither team scored the last two minutes of the half to settle on a 28-27 edge at the break.
Connor Pytleski's 3-pointer put St. Norbert ahead 33-29 with 16:38 remaining, leading to the two teams toggling the lead until the game's last tie came at 42-42 with 10:05 to go. Cox converted another driving layup and then hit a floating jumper with 9:02 left for a 46-42 lead.
Ryan Brown's jumper at 7:06 gave St. Norbert its largest lead to that point at 50-44. After a Superior basket, Uhlenbrauck converted a conventional three-point play with 5:39 left for a 53-46 advantage. Superior would cut its deficit to five points on each of its next two possessions, but the Green Knights answered on an Uhlenbrauck trey and a Cox layup, the latter for a 58-51 lead with 4:10 to go. Superior would get no closer than six points the rest of the way.
St. Norbert shot 48.1 percent (25-for-52) from the floor. Uhlenbrauck finished with 16 points, while Cox had 14 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. The Green Knights committed just six turnovers.
Superior shot 38.2 percent (21-for-55) from the field. Rocco Paulson and Evan Bennett each had 10 points to lead the Yellowjackets.
