Green Knights Worn Down By Washington U. In NCAA Tournament

From Sports Information Director, March 3, 2017 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

ST. LOUIS - St. Norbert College hung with perennial national power Washington University before being worn down in the second half 73-54 in a first-round NCAA Division III Tournament game at WU Field House.

The sixth-ranked Bears (24-2), featuring 10 players listed at 5-foot-10 or taller, held a 33-27 lead at halftime but extended their lead with a 21-10 advantage in the third quarter. Washington advances to play Wheaton (Ill.) College in the second round Saturday. St. Norbert, making its 14th NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, ends its season with a 20-6 overall record.

St. Norbert found itself trailing 9-3 in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the game before responding with a Jill Kleiman 3-pointer. The Bears' Jenn Dynis scored to make it 11-6 just 3:48 into the game, but the Green Knights answered with the next four points on a pair of free throws and a layup by Kleiman to cut the deficit to 11-9. Both teams traded baskets until the Green Knights scored the last four points of the quarter on hoops by Jelena Ostojic and Brianna Byrne for a 16-15 lead after the first quarter.

Mallory Nickerson's two free throws knotted the game 18-18 at the 8:44 mark of the second quarter, but Washington would go on a 10-2 run over the next 2:58 to take a 28-20 lead on a 3-pointer by Zoe Vernon. Byrne's 3-pointer would bring the Green Knights to within 28-24 at the 4:51 mark, but St. Norbert would trail 33-27 at halftime.

Nickerson scored the first points of the third quarter with a layup 17 seconds in, but the Bears would then go on a 9-0 run to take control. Vernon canned another 3-pointer with 7:35 left in the period for a 42-29 edge. Kleiman's 3-pointer with 6:43 left brought the Green Knights back to within 10 at 42-32, but St. Norbert would get no closer the rest of the way.

The Green Knights trailed 54-37 after three quarters and got as close as 13 points in the fourth quarter.

St. Norbert shot 38.3 percent (18-for-47) from the floor for the game. Kleiman was the only Green Knight in double figures with 18 points and added five assists and three rebounds. Byrne had eight points and finished her career with 1,228 points - good for sixth all-time at St. Norbert.

Washington shot an even 50 percent (27-for-54) from the floor and outrebounded the Green Knights 35-27. Dynis led the Bears with 17 points, while Vernon added 16 points and Madeline Homoly 14 points.