Green Knights Come Back In Second Half to Top Grinnell

From Sports Information Director, December 5, 2015 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GRINNELL, Iowa - St. Norbert College shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half en route to a 71-60 win over Grinnell College in a Midwest Conference game at Darby Gym.

The Green Knights (4-2, 3-0 MWC) are now 31-1 in their last 32 games against Midwest Conference opponents, and improved to 33-0 all-time in the series with Grinnell (3-3, 2-2).

Grinnell shot 63.6 percent from the field in the first half, making 14 of 22 field-goal attempts, to forge a 33-29 halftime lead. The Pioneers led for most of the first quarter until Regan Carmichael's jumper with 52 seconds left in the period knotted the score at 16-16.

St. Norbert held a 27-26 lead with 3:40 left in the second quarter after a pair of Stephanie Weigman free throws, but the Pioneers closed out the half with a 7-2 run to take their four-point lead into halftime.

The Green Knights opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 39-35 lead with 4:53 left in the third quarter on a layup by Sarah Ratajczyk. The Pioneers would get back to within one at 41-40 on a Kaitlyn Norton 3-pointer with 3:15 left in the period, but St. Norbert would scored the next six points on a pair of Mallory Nickerson baskets and a hoop from Weigman to gain some breathing room.

St. Norbert led 51-45 after three quarters but Carmichael and Brianna Byrne connected on 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter for a 57-45 lead with 8:29 to go, and the Pioneers would not get closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Byrne led St. Norbert with 19 points, while Weigman added 14 points and Nickerson 11 points. The Green Knights shot 49.2 percent (29-for-59) from the floor, including 18-for-30 (60.0 percent) in the second half. St. Norbert committed just six turnovers.

Grinnell shot 53.5 percent (23-for-43) for the game. Alex Neckopulos led the Pioneers with 13 points and Kayla Morrissey added 12 points.