Defense Does the Job as Green Knights Roll Past Pioneers

From Sports Information Director, January 27, 2010 | Men's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College turned in one of its best defensive efforts of the season with a resounding 76-58 win over Carroll University in a Midwest Conference game at Schuldes Sports Center.

St. Norbert (15-1, 9-0 MWC), ranked 12th by D3hoops.com, held Carroll to 21 points below its season scoring average. St. Norbert junior guard John Taylor was assigned to guard Carroll senior guard John Hoch, the MWC's leading scorer at 24.2 points per game. Hoch finished with seven points, shooting 2-for-13 from the floor.

The Green Knights, ranked ninth in scoring defense in this week's NCAA Division III statistical rankings, held their 11th opponent to 61 points or less in 16 games.

St. Norbert snapped a 6-6 tie in the early going with a 19-4 run over a 7 1/2-minute stretch to take a 25-10 lead with 8 minutes 4 seconds left in the first half. Dave Wipperfurth's jumper and Taylor's 3-pointer gave St. Norbert a 35-19 lead at the break.

St. Norbert would push its lead out to as many as 26 points in the second half, leading 59-33 with 11:07 to go. The Pioneers would get no closer than the game's final score.

Wipperfurth led St. Norbert with 13 points, while Jake Dietz added 11 points and Chris Peterson 10. Taylor had eight points and eight assists for the Green Knights, who shot 51.7 percent (31-for-60) from the floor. St. Norbert also held a 42-23 rebounding advantage.

Paul Grossheusch had 15 points and Jake Bast 11 points to pace Carroll, which shot 40.7 percent (24-for-59) from the floor.