Big Second-Half Rally Lifts Green Knights Past Bucs

From Sports Information Director, January 15, 2013 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

BELOIT - St. Norbert College rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to steal a 60-59 win over Beloit College in a Midwest Conference game at Flood Arena.

The Green Knights (11-4, 8-2 MWC) trailed 40-26 with 17 minutes 13 seconds after Beloit's Taylor Grace Silar canned a 3-pointer. St. Norbert then held Beloit scoreless over the next five minutes to go on an 11-0 run to get within 40-37 on a Tasha Giese basket with 12:22 to go.

Beloit (2-13, 1-9) would then boost its lead back to six at 45-39 with 11:16 left, but St. Norbert would answer again with an 8-1 run to take a 47-46 lead with 8:51 to go on a pair of Morgan Heim free throws. Neither team would lead by more than three points until Heim's basket with 3:21 left put St. Norbert up 56-52.

The Buccaneers came back to tie the game at 58-58 and then went ahead 59-58 when Lauren McNanna split a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left. St. Norbert's Krista Hawkinson missed a layup with eight seconds left but Giese corralled the rebound and was fouled with 5.7 seconds left. Giese made both free throws, and Beloit's desperation shot was well off the mark to end the game.

St. Norbert survived a game where it shot 38.3 percent (23-for-60) from the floor and committed 20 turnovers. Heim totaled a career-high 16 points, while Giese had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Hawkinson finished with 11 points, while Heidi Van Sistine came off the bench to post career highs of eight points and 10 rebounds.

Beloit, which led 33-22 at halftime after trailing 8-0 to start the game, got 19 poitns from Lana Wieseman and 13 points from Silar. The Buccaneers shot 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the floor.