Green Knights Finish Regular Season on 13-Game Winning Streak

From Sports Information Director, February 21, 2009 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College held off a game Carroll University team to claim a 77-73 Midwest Conference win at Schuldes Sports Center.

The Green Knights (19-4, 15-1 MWC) extended their winning streak to 13 games and their winning streak on Connie Tilley Court to 23 games. St. Norbert will face Illinois College in the first round of the Midwest Conference Championship on Feb. 27 in De Pere. Carroll finished its season 13-10, 8-8.

Carroll held a pair of five-point leads in the first half, including a 34-29 lead with 1:27 left in the period. Morgan Strasser had a conventional three-point play with 1:02 left, and then followed up with a 3-pointer to give St. Norbert a 35-34 halftime lead.

St. Norbert led 37-36 with 18:39 left in the game before going on a 13-2 run to take a 50-38 lead with 13:08 to go. Carroll responded with a run of its own, getting back to 56-55 with 8:06 to play on a Karen Hoewisch basket. St. Norbert never lost the lead, and led 64-63 with 3:38 left. Emily Otzelberger had a hoop with 3:38 to go to put the Green Knights up three. Krista Pelky then scored St. Norbert's next eight points to keep Carroll at bay down the stretch. Pelky had a conventional three-point with 1:35 left to give St. Norbert a 73-67 advantage.

Strasser led St. Norbert with 19 points, while Pelky had 16 and Otzelberger 10. St. Norbert shot 54 percent from the floor and was 20-for-26 at the free-throw line.

Leah Lemke led the Pioneers with 26 points. The Pioneers shot 49.1 percent from the floor, making 26 of 53 shots.