Green Knights Grind to Road Win at Ripon

From Sports Information Director, February 19, 2014 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

RIPON - St. Norbert College held Ripon College to 26 points in the last 26 minutes minutes of the game to grind out a 56-42 Midwest Conference win at Storzer Center.

The Green Knights (18-4, 15-2 MWC) moved to within one win of gaining at least a share of their 12th Midwest Conference title. St. Norbert hosts fifth-place Illinois College at 3 p.m. Saturday at Schuldes Sports Center, while MWC co-leader Cornell College travels to Beloit. Should Lake Forest College end the season at least tied with Beloit College in the MWC standings, St. Norbert will hold the tiebreaker for No. 1 seeding and hosting the Midwest Conference Tournament on Feb. 28-March 1.

Ripon (9-14, 9-8) gained a 16-15 lead with 6:59 left before halftime, but that would be the Red Hawks last lead of the game. Brianna Byrne split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 16-16, and Stephanie Weigman's two free throws with 4:27 left in the half put the Green Knights ahead to stay at 18-16. Lana Tomashek's jumper with 35 seconds left but St. Norbert ahead 24-19 at halftime.

St. Nrobert led 36-31 with 10:58 to go before going on an 11-0 run to ice the win. Byrne connected on a 3-pointer to get the run started, and Jill Kleiman followed with a basket for a 41-31 lead with 9:47 left. Byrne drilled another triple with 8:52 to go, and Tomashek finished off the skein with a 3-pointer with 7:52 remaining for a 47-31 lead. Ripon would get no closer than 10 points late in the game.

Tomashek led St. Norbert with 14 points, while Byrne added nine points. Tasha Giese had 11 rebounds with four points. St. Norbert shot 38.3 percent (18-for-47) from the floor, and held a 35-26 rebounding advantage.

Jill Van Eperen led Ripon with 14 points, while Kacie Cullen added 11 points. The Red Hawks shot 37.0 percent (17-for-46) from the floor.