Green Knights Grind Past Red Hawks

From Sports Information Director, January 10, 2012 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College withstood a 23-turnover night and went on to defeat Ripon College 56-45 in a Midwest Conference game on Connie Tilley Court at Schuldes Sports Center.

The Green Knights (9-3, 7-0 MWC) has now won 39 of their last 40 games against league foes. Ripon dropped to 4-7, 3-3, and has its last five games to St. Norbert.

St. Norbert slogged its way through the first half, not reaching the 10-point mark until a Krista Pelky basket with only 4 minutes 25 seconds left before halftime. The Green Knights then scored nine points the rest of the half to remarkably trail just 22-19 at intermission.

The game was tied for the fifth time at 30-30 with 14:38 to go, but Lana Tomashek's conventional three-point play gave St. Norbert a lead it would never relinquish. The Green Knights held a 38-35 lead with 9 minutes left but St. Norbert then went on an 11-0 run to salt the game away with a 49-35 edge with 4:42 to go.

St. Norbert shot 50 percent from the floor, making 18 of 36 free throws. The Green Knights were 16-for-20 (80 percent) at the free-throw line. Krista Hawkinson and Krista Pelky led St. Norbert with 16 points apiece, while Morgan Heim added 10 points off the bench.

Kacie Cullen led Ripon with 14 points, while Katie Raymond added 13 points. The Red Hawks shot 38.8 percent (19-for-49) from the floor but only got to the free-throw line three times, making two. Ripon had 22 turnovers.