Green Knights Grind Past Knox

From Sports Information Director, January 15, 2011 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GALESBURG, Ill. - St. Norbert College kept pace at the top of the Midwest Conference with a hard-fought 68-59 win over Knox College at Memorial Gym.

The Green Knights, ranked 15th in the D3hoops.com Top 25, improved to 11-3 overall and 7-2 in the MWC to remain in a first-place tie with Illinois College and Lawrence. Knox fell to 1-13, 0-9.

St. Norbert and Knox were deadlocked at 42-42 with 10 minutes 25 seconds left before the Green Knights slowly began to pull away. Steve Papke, John Taylor and Paul Appleton all hit baskets for a 48-42 lead with 8:35 left. David Wipperfurth added a free throw and Papke a hoop for a 51-42 advantage with 7:37 to go. The Prairie Fire would get to within 59-56 on a Ben Wetherbee 3-pointer with 2:22 left, but Papke would answer with another basket to put the Green Knights up five. Knox would get no closer than four the rest of the game.

St. Norbert shot 45.7 percent (21-for-46) from the floor and was 25-for-39 (64.1 percent) at the free-throw line. Papke led St. Norbert with 17 points, while Wipperfurth and Chris Peterson added 15 points apiece.

Tanner Carlson and Lukas Shaw each led Knox with 10 points. The Prairie Fire shot 43.8 percent (21-for-48) from the floor but had 21 turnovers.