St. Norbert Season Ends With Second-Round NCAA Division III Tournament Loss to UW-Stevens Point

From Sports Information Director, March 6, 2010 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - A stellar St. Norbert College season came to an end with a 71-58 second-round NCAA Division III Tournament loss to UW-Stevens Point at Schuldes Sports Center.

The Green Knights finish with a 23-4 record, and had a 16-game winning streak snapped in the loss. Stevens Point, which lost to St. Norbert in a NCAA Tournament game in 2008, advances to the sectional with a 23-6 record.

The Pointers pulled away early, getting consecutive 3-pointers from Cassie Bandow to push a 21-17 lead to a 27-17 bulge with 5 minutes 7 seconds left in the first half. Stevens Point led 31-20 at halftime.

Stevens Point got the jump in the second half, going on a 11-4 run in the first 3 1/2 minutes for a 42-24 lead. The Green Knights trailed by double digits until Denise Heuser's 3-pointer cut the deficit to 60-51 with 3:37 left, but the host would get no closer.

Stevens Point shot 49.1 percent from the floor, making 26 of 53 shots. Bandow, who held Heuser scoreless in the first half, finished with 18 points. Ashley Averkamp also added 18 points for the Pointers, who outrebounded St. Norbert 39-25.

St. Norbert, playing its third-straight game without leading rebounder Rachel Hermus, shot 39.2 percent (20-for-51) from the floor. Heuser finished with 12 points, and ended up with 999 career points. Jamie Kuhl had 13 points to lead St. Norbert. Emily Otzelberger finished with 10 points in her final collegiate game.

The defeat was St. Norbert's second loss at Schuldes Sports Center in 40 games.