First-Half Spurt Lifts St. Norbert Over Beloit

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, January 8, 2019 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College used an efficient final 7 1/2 minutes of the first half as the impetus to an 82-59 win over Beloit College in a Midwest Conference game at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.

The Green Knights scored on 9 of 11 possessions down the stretch in the first half to see a 23-19 lead rupture into a 44-26 halftime advantage.

Drew Yetka started the onslaught with a layup and 3-pointer. Connor Curtis added two baskets to put St. Norbert ahead 32-22. Joe Lemon, Joe Ciriacks and Yetka then hit baskets for a 38-22 lead with 2:26 left. Curtis buried a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left to close out the run. The Green Knights blocked three Beloit shots in the last three seconds of the first half to lead 44-26 at the break.

St. Norbert opened up a 20-point lead at 50-30 with 16:48 to play after a Ciriacks 3-pointer. The Buccaneers would get the deficit down to 14 points twice, the last time at 59-45 with 9:04 left, but a quick 7-0 run by the Green Knights on a 3-pointer by Jared Murphy and baskets by Nolan Beirne and Lemon effectively decided the outcome.

The Green Knights shot 54.2 percent (32-for-59) from the floor and had just five turnovers. Curtis had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Ciriacks and Murphy had 11 points apiece. Lemon and Yetka each finished with 10 points.

Beloit shot 35.2 percent (19-for-54) from the floor. Mason Jones led the Buccaneers with 13 points, while Tristan Shoup added 11 points.