St. Norbert Outlasts Cornell

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, January 5, 2019 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College went over the 90-point plateau for the second consecutive game with a 93-82 win over Cornell College in a Midwest Conference game at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.

The Green Knights (8-5, 6-0 MWC), who defeated Illinois College 96-66 on Wednesday, drained 15 three-point field goals to hold off the Rams, who shot nearly 53 percent from the floor. St. Norbert now holds a two-game lead in the loss column in the Midwest Conference standings on four other teams.

St. Norbert opened the game on a 12-1 run in the first four-plus minutes, bookended by 3-pointers from Joe Ciriacks and Joe Lemon. The Rams got to within 18-12 at the 12:37 mark, but a 26-11 run over the next 6:54 ballooned the St. Norbert lead to 44-23 with 5:43 left in the half. The Green Knights went cold the rest of the period, with Cornell finishing the half on a 14-2 run to trim the deficit to 46-37 at halftime.

Cornell continued its charge early in the second half, trailing just 49-44 with 17:36 left. Jared Murphy and Ciriacks canned 3s around a Cornell basket for a 55-46 lead, and Ciriacks followed with a tip-in and 3-pointer for a 60-47 edge with 14:25 left. Cornell would come again, trailing just 60-52 with 12:54 to go, but Logan Krekling canned a pair of crucial 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to put the Green Knights ahead 66-54 with 11:51 left.

The Rams wouldn't go away, getting to within six at 71-65 with 7:21 to play. St. Norbert led 74-67 with 6:39 to go before Ciriacks rattled off eight consecutive points, getting two 3-pointers and a fastbreak jumper for an 82-67 edge with 5:31 left and effectively decide the outcome.

St. Norbert shot 48.6 percent (35-for-72) from the floor. Ciriacks posted a career-high point total for the second consecutive game, finishing with 24 points. Connor Curtis added 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Lemon and Wade Geenen added 12 points each. Krekling posted a career-high 10 points.

Cornell shot 52.8 percent (28-for-53) from the field. Jordan Magnani finished with a game-high 33 points, which included seven three-point field goals. Cooper Kabela added 20 points.