Win Streak Moves to Eight as St. Norbert Outlasts Beloit

From Sports Information Director, January 15, 2013 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

BELOIT - St. Norbert College won at Beloit College for the first time in three years with a hard-fought 66-56 win over the Buccaneers in a Midwest Conference game at Flood Arena.

The Green Knights (11-3, 8-2 MWC) held off the Buccaneers (8-7, 6-4) down the stretch to win their eighth consecutive game. The game was tied 42-42 with 7:28 remaining before the Green Knights scored on every possession in the game's final 6 minutes, except for running clock out at the end of the game. St. Norbert made all five of its field-goal attempts and 14 of 16 free throws to score 24 points in the last 5:57.

St. Norbert held a 46-43 edge when Brandon Gries made a driving layup and was fouled with 4:57 to go. Gries missed the free throw, but Izaiah Anderson got the rebound and putback to put the Green Knights ahead 50-43.

Beloit would cut the deficit down to two points on two occasions, but the Green Knights answered each time by making free throws. Andrew Schwoerer had a hoop with 2:18 left for a 58-52 lead, and Anderson followed with 1:32 to go with a conventional three-point play to put the game out of reach at 61-52.

Gries led all scorers with 20 points, and was 12-for-15 at the free-throw line. Schwoerer added 14 poitns and eight rebounds, and Anderson chipped in with 11 points. St. Norbert shot 47.7 percent from the floor, making 21 of 44 field-goal attempts and finished 22-for-26 (84.6 percent) at the free-throw line.

Beloit was led by standout post player James Lazarcik's 15 points and 12 rebounds. Steve McAfee added 14 points and Tyler Butke 10 for the Buccaneers, who shot 47.1 percent (24-for-51) from the floor. Beloit made just five trips to the free-throw line, and made only one charity toss. The Buccaneers also had 15 turnovers to the Green Knights' nine.