Green Knights Escape From Ripon With Win

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, December 7, 2019 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

RIPON - St. Norbert College picked up its second key Midwest Conference win of the week when it hung on to tip Ripon College 70-69 at Willmore Center.

The Green Knights (3-2, 2-0 MWC) rallied from a five-point deficit in the last four minutes to pick up the victory over the Red Hawks (5-2, 1-1 MWC). Nolan Beirne split a pair of free throws to snap a 69-69 tie, and Ripon's Trent Jones missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

St. Norbert built an early 12-4 lead thanks to a pair of Jared Murphy 3-pointers, but Ripon answered with a 12-0 run for an 18-12 lead. Murphy countered again with consecutive 3-pointers to knot the score at 18-18 with 7:40 left in the half. Ripon would take a 30-24 lead with 2:13 left in the half but St. Norbert got to within 32-29 at hlaftime.

The Red Hawks led 36-29 early in the second half before St. Norbert clawed back to take a 46-41 lead with 12:40 remaining following a Joe Ciriacks 3-pointer. The Green Knights would eventually open a 53-45 bulge with 9:31 to go following a Connor Curtis free throw. Ripon would come again, going on an 18-5 run over the next 4 1/2 minutes to take a 63-58 lead on a Jones 3-pointer.

St. Norbert trailed 65-60 with 3:43 to go until Ciriacks made a pair of free throws and Murphy canned his fifth 3-pointer of the game to knot the score 65-65 with 2:33 to go. A pair of Nolan Beirne free throws with 1:57 left put St. Norbert up 67-65, but Jones tied the game at 67-67. Murphy answered with another hoop but Jones replied with another basket to tie the score at 69-69 and set up the game's final moments.

The Green Knights shot 41.1 percent (23-for-56) from the floor but were 10-for-21 (47.6 percent) from beyond the three-point arc and committed just eight turnovers. Ciriacks led all scorers with 24 points, while Murphy added 17 points.

Ripon shot an even 50 percent (28-for-56) and outrebounded the Green Knights 34-25. Ryan Steffes had 22 points and Jones 21 for the Red Hawks.