Zurfluh's Triple Double Leads St. Norbert In Rout of Grinnell

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, February 15, 2020 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

GRINNELL, Iowa - After several near-misses throughout her career, St. Norbert College senior guard Macie Zurfluh posted a rare triple double as the Green Knights romped to a 78-46 win over Grinnell College in a Midwest Conference game at Darby Gym.

Zurfluh posted 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 31 minutes for her first career triple double. Zurfluh is just the 18th player in NCAA Division III women's basketball to record a triple double this season.

St. Norbert had little trouble rerouting the Pioneers, jumping out to a 14-4 lead out of the gate. Kaycee Gierczak had eight of the 14 points during the run. Natalie Cerrato swished a pair of 3-pointers and Gierczak added another basket, followed by a Zurfluh hoop for a 24-12 lead after the first quarter.

The Green Knights opened up a big lead in the second quarter, eventually leading by 24 points. Olivia DeCleene had a 3-pointer early in the period and Gierczak added seven more points in the quarter to give her 17 at halftime. Zurfluh had 10 points and 10 rebounds at the break, with St. Norbert leading 44-20.

St. Norbert kept the offensive operating at an efficient manner in the second half, with Cerrato and DeCleene getting a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter to help give the Green Knights a 64-30 lead after three quarters. The Green Knights led by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter, with a 78-38 lead with 3:50 left.

Gierczak posted a career-high 27 points, while Jessica Boerner added 12 points in addition to Zurfluh's performance. The Green Knights shot 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the floor and were a robust 21-for-23 (91.3 percent) at the free-throw line.

Grinnell shot 23.3 percent (14-for-60) from the floor. Emmy Nyquist had a team-high 15 points for the Pioneers.