St. Norbert Season Ends In Shootout With Monmouth

From Asst. AD/Athletics Communications, February 22, 2020 | Women's Basketball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College had a red-hot start against Monmouth College but eventually saw its season come to a close with a 74-67 loss in a Midwest Conference game on Connie Tilley Court at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.

The Green Knights canned 11 of 17 field-goal attempts in the first quarter but Monmouth made 9 of 14 field-goal attempts and were 5-for-6 from beyond the three-point arc as the two teams settled on a 24-24 tie after 10 minutes. Neither team led by more than three points in a first quarter that saw four ties and 13 lead changes.

St. Norbert had control in the second quarter, taking a 37-32 lead with 2:54 left on a Kaycee Gierczak layup, but Monmouth would score the last four points of the quarter to cut the deficit to 37-36 at halftime.

Monmouth would build a 49-44 lead with 3:51 left in the third quarter, but baskets by Sarah Neumann and Ali Hoeft along with a free throw by Neumann led to a 49-49 tie after the third quarter. Monmouth would then take a 61-60 lead with 4:48 to go, but the Green Knights would get a hoop from Macie Zurfluh and a 3-pointer from Olivia DeCleene for a 65-61 lead with 4 minutes to go. Monmouth would come again with five straight points of its own to retake the lead at 66-65, but DeCleene made a pair of free throws with 2:08 left to put St. Norbert up 67-66. The Fighting Scots would score with 1:06 to go and never relinquish the lead.

St. Norbert shot 47.5 percent (28-for-59) from the floor. Jessica Boerner led St. Norbert with 16 points, while Zurfluh added 14 points and DeCleene 10 points.

Monmouth shot 48.1 percent (25-for-52) from the floor and canned 12 of 18 (66.7 percent) three-point field-goal attempts. Becca Gallis had a game-high 26 points, while Carley Turnbull and Tarae Warner added 12 points apiece.