Green Knights Surge Late to Top Nationally Ranked UW-Oshkosh

From Sports Information Director, November 16, 2015 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College pulled away late to claim a 68-62 win over UW-Oshkosh in a non-conference game at Schuldes Sports Center in the season opener for both teams.

The Green Knights won for the eighth-straight time over the Titans and improved to 50-4 in their last 54 games. Oshkosh is ranked No. 23 in the D3hoops.com Top 25.

St. Norbert held a 58-55 lead after Oshkosh's Max Schebel split a pair of free-throw attempts with 3:13 left. Neither team would score for over two minutes until the Green Knights' Mitchell Reinthaler hit a baseline layup with 59 seconds left for a 60-55 lead.

Oshkosh would miss its next two field-goal attempts and the Green Knights made 8 of 10 free throws inside the final minute to seal the win.

St. Norbert had a hot start to the game, taking a 13-4 lead on a D.J. DeValk jumper about 5 1/2 minutes into the game. Oshkosh countered with a 10-5 run to get to within 18:14 on a Kyle Bolger 3-pointer at the 8:52 mark. The Titans kept chipping away at the lead and eventually took a four-point lead at 32-28 with 1:05 left before halftime. A pair of Reinthaler free throws brought St. Norbert to within 32-30 at halftime.

The Green Knights opened the second half on a 14-2 run to take a 44-34 lead with 16:42 remaining. Terrence Garner converted a conventional three-point play, while Reinthaler closed out the run with a pair of baskets.

Oshkosh came again, trailing just 50-46 with 10:59 to go following an Alex Olson basket. The Green Knights remained in the lead but saw their advantage whittled down to two points twice - at 54-52 with 4:44 to go and 56-54 with 4:02 left.

St. Norbert shot 41.4 percent from the floor, making 24 of 58 field-goal attempts. Reinthaler posted a double-double in his first collegiate start with 19 points and 10 rebounds. DeValk added 18 points and Garner 11. The Green Knights held a 42-31 rebounding edge.

Olson led Oshkosh with 17 points, while Ben Boots added 10 points off the bench. The Titans shot 37.3 percent (19-for-51) from the floor.