First Quarter Dooms Green Knights at Beloit

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

BELOIT - St. Norbert College fell behind 29-14 after the first quarter and couldn't recover in an 85-76 loss to Beloit College in a Midwest Conference game at Flood Arena.

The Buccaneers racehorsed out to a 7-0 lead on their first three possessions and never trailed. St. Norbert cut the deficit to 11-8 on a pair of Christine Olijnyk free throws with 5:48 left in the quarter and still trailed 18-12 with 2:40 left in the period on two Olivia DeCleene free throws. But Beloit would go on an 11-2 run the rest of the quarter to take a 29-14 edge after 10 minutes.

The lead would remain double digits the rest of the second quarter but St. Norbert was able to whittle its deficit down to 47-37 at halftime.

St. Norbert scored the first five points of the third quarter on a Macie Zurfluh basket and Christine Olijnyk 3-pointer to trail 47-42 with 8:43 left in the period. Beloit would eventually get back to a 10-point lead at 59-49 at the end of the frame.

The Green Knights would get to within seven at 75-68 with 2:56 left after an Olijnyk 3 and down to four at 77-73 on another Olijnyk triple with 42 seconds left, but the visitors would get no closer.

St. Norbert shot 46.7 percent (28-for-60) from the floor. Sarah Ratajczyk led the Green Knights with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Olijnyk added 15 points, while DeCleene had 14 points and Zurfluh 11.

Beloit shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) from the floor and committed just nine turnovers. Shelby Kline finished with 25 points, while Candace Cunningham added 19 points and 12 rebounds.