St. Norbert Survives Frigid Shooting to Top Knox

From Sports Information Director, January 16, 2016 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GALESBURG, Ill. - St. Norbert College shot 28.3 percent from the floor and made just 13 field goals, but still managed to pull out a 56-53 win over Knox College in a Midwest Conference game at Memorial Gym.

The Green Knights (12-2, 9-0 MWC), ranked No. 23 in the D3hoops.com Top 25, host Carroll University at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Schuldes Sports Center in a battle for first place in the MWC. The Pioneers are 12-1, 8-0.

St. Norbert was just 13-for-46 from the floor in the game and saw a 17-point lead melt down to just one point in the game's final minute, but survived Knox's upset bid to extend its winning streak against Midwest Conference opponents to 53.

The Green Knights held their biggest lead of the game at 36-19 with 17:36 left to play following a Taylor Penn 3-pointer. St. Norbert still led 41-26 with 14:18 to go after a Mitch Winter 3-pointer, but from there the Green Knights would make just two field goals the rest of the way going just 2-for-15 from the field.

Knox (1-12, 0-8) cut the deficit to just 54-53 with 11 seconds left on a hoop by Caylab Herrera. St. Norbert's D.J. DeValk made a pair of free throws with 8 seconds remaining, and Braden Adams' 3-pointer to potentially tie the game for Knox was off the mark.

St. Norbert led 18-16 with 6:20 left in the first half before closing the first 20 minutes on a 13-3 run to take a 31-19 lead into halftime.

The Green Knights helped offset their field-goal percentage by going 24-for-36 at the free-throw line, as eight different players made a free throw. Winter led the Green Knights with 13 points and seven rebounds. DeValk added 10 points.

D.J. Lewis was the only Knox player to reach double figures with 13 points. The Prairie Fire shot 37.5 percent (18-for-48) from the floor and was 10-for-19 (52.6 percent) at the free-throw line.