(ST NORBERT COMMUNICATIONS) DE PERE – St. Norbert College advanced to the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament final, defeating Benedictine 52-40 in a NACC Tournament semifinal at Mulva Family Fitness and Sports Center, and are now just one game away from punching its ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Green Knights (22-4) held the Eagles to a low scoring contest, with neither team breaking away with the lead in the first two quarters. St. Norbert turned up the heat in the second half, including scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter to get over the edge.
The Green Knights weren’t able to put away many shots in the first ten minutes, but Taylor Thiry (pictured) and Macey Mercer helped cut into the small Eagle lead as Benedictine led 10-9 after the first quarter. Olivia Conway gave St. Norbert its first lead at 11-10 at 9:40 in the second quarter, but it turned out to be yet another low-scoring period. A Mercer layup with 45 seconds before halftime tied the game at 18.
The Green Knights opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run, with Conway and Emma Morrisey hitting 3-pointers to give St. Norbert a 28-18 lead at 4:08. Benedictine was held scoreless from the floor until the final 35 seconds when it hit a three.
The Eagles came within seven points of the lead three times in the fourth quarter, but an 11-point period from Thiry saw no chance of a Benedictine comeback.
St. Norbert shot 41.2 percent from the floor (21-for-51). Thiry led with 17 points while Mercer had 10. Morrisey had nine points and six rebounds.
The Green Knights outrebounded the Eagles 40-25.
Benedictine shot 30.4 percent from the floor (14-for-46). Makenzie Carroll had 13 points for the Eagles.
St. Norbert will host Wisconsin Lutheran College on Saturday, March 1 in the NACC Tournament Final at 4 p.m. The two shared the conference title this season and will be the fourth consecutive NACC Tournament final between the two.
