Green Knights Dispatch Beloit

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

BELOIT - St. Norbert College won for the tenth time in its last 11 games as the Green Knights fashioned a 74-64 win over Beloit College in a Midwest Conference game at Flood Arena.

The Green Knights (16-6, 14-1 MWC) opened up a one-game lead on second-place Grinnell College (17-4, 13-2), who square off at 3 p.m. Saturday in a key MWC contest at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.

St. Norbert trailed 11-10 with 16:17 left in the first half before going on a 10-2 run over the next 10:42 to take a 23-13 lead. Jared Murphy and Joe Ciriacks had 3-pointers during the run, while Matt Lynch's two free throws gave the Green Knights their 10-point lead.

Beloit would answer with a 7-0 run of its own, getting to within 23-20 with 3:28 left in the half. The Green Knights were able to push the lead back out to 32-22 by halftime, with Murphy scoring the last seven points of the period - including a conventional three-point play with three seconds left.

St. Norbert would lead 39-30 with 16:21 left before going on a 13-2 run over the next 4:44 to lead 52-32 with 11:37 left on a Logan Krekling layup. The Green Knights still led 58-40 with 7:33 left before Beloit mounted a quick 11-1 run in the next 1:28 to get to within 59-51 with 6:05 to go. Ciriacks answered with 3-pointers on St. Norbert's next two possessions to push the lead back to 14 at 65-51 with 4:55 to go. Beloit would get to within 71-64 with 1:25 left but would get no closer.

The Green Knights shot 44.9 percent (22-for-49) from the field and were 23-for-29 (79.3 percent) at the free-throw line. Ciriacks led St. Norbert with 18 points, while Murphy added 12 points and Nolan Beirne 10 points.

Beloit shot 39.3 percent (24-for-61) from the floor. Dan Babb and Andrew Walters led the Buccaneers with 16 points apiece.