Green Knights Snuff Red Hawks

From Sports Information Director, February 12, 2013 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College turned in one of its best-ever defensive performances to top Ripon College 46-31 in a Midwest Conference game on Connie Tilley Court at Schuldes Sports Center.

With the win, the Green Knights (15-7, 12-5 MWC) clinched a berth in the Midwest Conference Tournament for the 11th consecutive year on Feb. 22-23 at Cornell College. The last time St. Norbert held an opponent to 31 points was a 67-31 win over Lawrence on Feb. 14, 2009.

Ripon (10-13, 9-9) opened the game with a pair of free throws by Erin Lind, but after that it was all Green Knights. The Red Hawks mustered just one field goal in the game's first 10 minutes, and St. Norbert went on an 11-0 run after Lind's free throws to take an an 11-2 lead 7 minutes in. The Green Knights continued to grind away and took a 22-13 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Red Hawks got to within 26-17 early in the first half, but an 8-2 run by St. Norbert gave the Green Knights a big 34-19 lead with 10:47 to go.

Krista Hawkinson and Morgan Heim paced St. Norbert with 13 points apiece. Eight other St. Norbert players scored but none more than five points. The Green Knights shot 43.2 percent (16-for-37) from the floor and survived committing 28 turnovers.

Ripon shot a paltry 24 percent (12-for-5) from the floor and was outrebounded 41-20. Kacie Cullen was the only Red Hawk to reach double figures at 14 points.