Green Knights Suffer Narrow Loss at Ripon

From Sports Information Director, January 28, 2012 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

RIPON - St. Norbert College couldn't quite get over the hump in the game's final moments and was dealt a 68-64 loss at Ripon College in a Midwest Conference game at Storzer Center.

The Green Knights dropped to 11-7 overall and 8-5 in the MWC. Ripon improved to 12-5, 8-4.

The game was tied 59-59 with 5 minutes 23 seconds remaining when St. Norbert's Brandon Gries connected on a 3-pointer. Ripon went on a 5-0 run in the next 2 minutes, but a pair of Steven Hofacker free throws and a Paul Appleton 3-pointer tied the game at 64-64 with 2:02 left.

Ripon's Taylor Koth made two free throws for the lead with 1:40 to go. St. Norbert missed a pair of free throws with 33 seconds left and a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining and wouldn't get another shot at the lead.

Gries led St. Norbert with a career-high 25 points, and connected on a 7 of 11 three-point field-goal attempts. Andrew Schwoerer netted 15 points, while Appleton had 11 points. The Green Knights made 22 of 53 field goal attempts, a 41.5 percent percentage.

Aris Wurtz led Ripon with 25 poitns, while Taylor Koth added 19 points. The Red Hawks shot 47.2 percent form the floor, making 25 of 53 shots.