Green Knights Lose to Monmouth at Buzzer

From Sports Information Director, January 11, 2014 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

MONMOUTH, Ill. - Marla Willard's baseline jumper off a baseline out-of-bounds play with 1.4 seconds remaining beat the buzzer to send St. Norbert College to a 64-62 loss to Monmouth College in a Midwest Conference game at Glennie Gym.

The Green Knights (9-3, 6-1 MWC) suffered their first conference loss. Monmouth (10-3, 6-2) claimed the only meeting between the two teams in the regular season this year.

St. Norbert took a 60-56 lead with 1:41 left on a pair of Brianna Byrne free throws, but the Scots cut the deficit to one on a conventional three-point play by Paige Nord with 1:12 to go. The Green Knights answered with a Lana Tomashek jumper with 58 seconds left.

Monmouth then knotted the game at 62-62 on a 3-pointer from the wing by Kaley Corban with 37 seconds to go. The Green Knights turned the ball over with nine seconds left and a Monmouth shot missed, but the rebound went out of bounds to Monmouth to set up Willard's heroics.

St. Norbert led by as many as 10 points at 18-8 in the first half before settling on a 29-25 lead at the break. The Green Knights led 45-39 with 9:47 left before the Scots went on a 12-0 run to take a 51-45 lead with 8:04 to go. St. Norbert went on a 13-2 run to take a 58-53 lead with 4:30 left before the game's final moments.

Tomashek, Byrne and Heidi Van Sistine all scored 14 poitns apiece, with Van Sistine snaring nine rebounds. The Green Knights shot 42.4 percent (25-for-59) from the floor.

Monmouth was led by Jacquice Cooper's 15 points, while Willard added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Nord had 13 points for the Scots, who shot 37.3 percent (25-for-67) from the floor.