Green Knights Send Seniors Out in Style in Lawrence Win

From Sports Information Director, February 19, 2011 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College sent its decorated senior class out with a win as the Green Knights topped Lawrence University 66-55 in a Midwest Conference game at Schuldes Sports Center.

The Green Knights, who improved to 18-5 overall and 14-4 in the MWC with the win, will host Ripon College at 8 p.m. Friday in a MWC Tournament semifinal. Lawrence saw its season end under .500 for the second year in a row at 11-12, 10-8.

St. Norbert's senior class of John Taylor, David Wipperfurth, Steve Papke, Chris Peterson, Paul Mallers, Rob Durrett and Kyle Johnsen are the school's winningest four-year group with 73 wins.

The Green Knights and Vikings battled to a 29-29 halftime stalemate before St. Norbert slowly ground Lawrence into submission. The Vikings were held scoreless for the first 6 minutes 6 seconds of the second half, but St. Norbert held just a 33-29 lead. St. Norbert pulled away from a 39-36 lead on a 3-pointer by Wipperfurth and a pair of free throws by Durrett.

Tyler Crisman's 3-pointer cut the Vikings deficit to 44-39 with 9:05 left, but St. Norbert went on a 16-2 run to take a 60-41 lead inside 4 minutes left. The Vikings had only 10 points in the first 16 minutes of the second half.

St. Norbert shot 52 percent (13-for-25) from the floor in the second half and 23-for-55 (41.8 percent) for the game. Taylor had 14 of his game-high 18 points in the first half. Wipperfurth added 13 points and Peterson 11.

Jon Mays led Lawrence with 17 points, with 15 coming in the first half. Crisman and Max Burgess added 11 each for the Vikings, who shot 18-for-47 (38.3 percent) from the floor for the game.