Late Run Seals St. Norbert's Fate at UW-Stevens Point

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, December 20, 2019 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

STEVENS POINT - A late 9-0 run by UW-Stevens Point ended up being the difference as St. Norbert College dropped a 64-58 non-conference decision to the Pointers at Berg Gym.

St. Norbert trailed 53-52 with 4:10 left following a pair of Jessica Boerner free throws, but Stevens Point would get 3-pointers from Carly Cerrato and Amber Baehman, a hoop by Baehman and a free throw by Bailee Collins over the next 1:29 to take a 62-52 lead with 2:41 left. A pair of Kaycee Gierczak baskets brought the Green Knights to within 62-56 with 1:14 left, but St. Norbert would get no closer.

The Green Knights opened the game trailing 10-2 but responded with a 7-2 run to get to within 12-9 with 2:19 left in the first quarter after a Boerner basket. Hannah Ciesielczyk's basket just before the first quarter buzzer brought St. Norbert to within 17-11 at halftime.

Stevens Point opened up a 24-15 lead with 6:15 left in the second quarter, but St. Norbert went on a 14-2 run to take a 29-26 lead with 1:16 left in the period. Ciesielczyk had six points during the run, while Gierczak added four. Natalie Cerrato canned a 3-pointer just before halftime for a 34-31 St. Norbert lead.

St. Norbert scored the first six points of the third quarter to take a 40-31 lead. Baskets by Sarah Neumann, Macie Zurfluh and Hannah Gibbons put the Green Knights up by nine with 6:50 left in the period. A Zurfluh basket put St. Norbert ahead 42-35 with 4:29 left in the period, but the Pointers went on an 8-0 run for a 43-42 lead. Gierczak's basket with 31 seconds left in the period gave St. Norbert a 44-43 lead with 10 minutes to play.

Neither team led by more than three points in the fourth quarter until Stevens Point's late run.

St. Norbert shot 43.9 percent (25-for-57) from the floor. Zurfluh led St. Norbert with 13 points and matched a career-high with 11 assists. Gierczak finished with 12 points, while Ciesielczyk added 11 points.

Stevens Point shot 41.7 percent (20-for-48) from the floor but was 19-for-28 (67.9 percent) from the free-throw line, while St. Norbert was just 6-for-12 (50 percent). Baehman led the Pointers with 15 points, while Taylor Greenheck added 13 points.