Big Second Half Leads St. Norbert Past Knox

From Sports Information Director, January 16, 2016 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GALESBURG, Ill. - St. Norbert College shot 65.8 percent from the floor in the second half as the Green Knights claimed a 95-61 win over Knox College in a Midwest Conference game at Memorial Gym.

The Green Knights (10-4, 9-0 MWC) outscored the Prairie Fire (7-6, 2-6) by a 53-29 margin in the final 20 minutes to pull away from a 42-32 halftime lead.

St. Norbert led 48-40 early in the third quarter before going on a 12-1 run over the next five minutes to take a 60-41 edge. Mallory Nickerson got the run started, followed by a Brianna Byrne basket. Knox's Kayla Brown made one free throw but St. Norbert answered with a 3-pointer from Jill Kleiman.

Heidi Van Sistine added a basket and a free throw and Nickerson finished the outburst with another hoop with 3:05 left in the period. Sarah Ratajczyk finished the quarter with a basket with four seconds left for a 66-44 lead.

St. Norbert made seven of its first eight field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter to salt the game away, taking a 78-48 lead on a basket by Stephanie Weigman with 7:16 remaining.

St. Norbert finished the game shooting 58.1 percent from the floor, making 43 of 74 field-goal attempts. Kleiman led all scorers with 18 points, while Weigmad added 14 points. Byrne and Nickerson both had 12 points. The Green Knights outrebounded the Prairie Fire 47-30.

Jasmine Binion led Knox with 14 points, while Jamie Blue added 12 points. The Prairie Fire shot 20-for-56 (35.7 percent) from the floor.