Green Knights Turn Up Defense to Top Carroll

From Sports Information Director, February 6, 2013 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College used a stingy defense in the second half as the impetus to turn back Carroll University 63-50 in a critical Midwest Conference game on Connie Tilley Court at Schuldes Sports Center.

The win sets up another critical game on Saturday for the Green Knights (16-4, 13-2 MWC), who travel to second-place Grinnell College (15-4, 12-3) on Saturday. St. Norbert can clinch a share of its third MWC title in four years with a win over the Pioneers.

St. Norbert found itself in a dogfight right from the start against Carroll (14-6, 10-5). The Green Knights held a couple of five-point leads in the early going, but the Pioneers responded to take three different leads of four points late in the first half. Carroll led 29-25 before St. Norbert's Austin Elliott canned a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer to trim the deficit to 28-25.

The Green Knights scored on their second possession of the first half to take a 30-29 lead, and never trailed the rest of the way. St. Norbert held a 37-33 lead with 14:02 left but then held Carroll scoreless for nine straight possessions to build a 44-33 lead with 8:59 to go on a Paul Appleton 3-pointer. Carroll would cut its deficit to nine points twice, but would get no closer.

St. Norbert shot just 39.2 percent (20-for-51) from the floor but made half its three-pointers (4-for-8) and made 19 of 21 (90.5 percent) free throws. Brandon Gries had a game-high 15 points, and was 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. Elliott added 12 points, while Appleton had 10 points and six rebounds. Andrew Schwoerer had nine points and nine rebounds.

Alec Molter led Carroll with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Caleb Zeegers added 11 points and Andrew Nottling 10. Carroll, which had 21 second-half points, shot 33.9 percent (20-for-59) in the game and was just 8-for-31 (25.8 percent) from the floor in the second half.