Frigid First Half Dooms St. Norbert in NCAA Loss to Chicago

From Sports Information Director, March 8, 2008 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

STEVENS POINT - St. Norbert College made just four first-half field goals en route to a 65-52 loss to the University of Chicago in the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament at Berg Gym.

The Green Knights finished their season 22-5, while Chicago advances to the Sweet 16 to face Kean (N.J.) University. The Maroons are also 22-5.

St. Norbert was just 4-for-27 (14.8 percent) from the floor in the first half to fall behind 32-16 at halftime.

St. Norbert held a 12-11 lead with 7:32 left in the first half before running out of gas. The Green Knights did not make a field goal the final 10:19 of the first half, and Chicago closed out the half on a 21-4 run to take a 32-16 lead at intermission.

Chicago led by as many as 24 points at 49-25 with 12:24 left to play before St. Norbert went on a 19-3 run to trail 52-44 with 8:03 to go. But Chicago answered with a quick 7-0 run to take a 15-point lead with just over 5 minutes left and that was it for the Green Knights' rally.

St. Norbert, which outscored Chicago 36-33 in the second half, shot 54.5 percent in the final 20 minutes to finish at 32.7 percent (16-for-49) for the game. Stefanie Bunday led St. Norbert with 13 points, while Linsey Propson scored nine points in her final collegiate game.

Nofi Mojidi led the Maroons with 17 points, while Molly Hackney added 14 points. Chicago shot 50 percent from the floor, making 26 of 52 shots, and also outrebounded the Green Knights 37-22.