Green Knights Suffer Defeat at Lawrence

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, February 19, 2020 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

APPLETON - St. Norbert College had a fourth-quarter lead disappear to a furious Lawrence University rally as the Green Knights dropped a 58-57 decision to the Vikings in a Midwest Conference contest at Alexander Gym.

The Green Knights entered the fourth quarter trailing 48-45 but opened the period on an 11-2 run to take a 56-50 lead. Macie Zurfluh converted a layup and Olivia DeCleene made a pair of free throws and made a jumper for a 51-50 lead with 8:29 remaining. Zurfluh then followed with a 3-pointer and Jessica Boerner converted a layup for a 56-50 advantage with 5:23 left.

St. Norbert would score just one point the rest of the way as Lawrence would score on its next three possessions after falling behind by six points and tied the game 56-56 on a Shonell Benjamin basket with 3 minutes left. The Green Knights' Kaycee Gierczak split a pair of free throws with 2:28 to go, but Kenya Earl's layup with 11 seconds to play four Lawrence would be the game's final points. St. Norbert had two shots in the final nine seconds go awry.

The Green Knights opened the game with a 6-2 lead but Lawrence would finish the first quarter on an 11-1 run to take a 13-7 lead after 10 minutes. Lawrence would eventually open up a nine-point lead in the second quarter but the Green Knights would get to within 27-24 at halftime. St. Norbert tied the game 29-29 early in the third quarter but the Vikings would eventually take an eight-point lead late in the period.

St. Norbert shot 44.4 percent (20-for-45) from the floor. Zurfluh led the Green Knights with 15 points.

Lawrence shot 34.4 percent (21-for-61) from the floor and outrebounded the Green Knights 37-32. Earl had 20 points and Benjamin 14 points for the Vikings.