Vikings roll past Wisconsin Lutheran

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team broke open a close game early in the second half and cruised to a 73-62 nonconference win at Wisconsin Lutheran College on Monday night.

Jon Mays scored 19 points to pace Lawrence (3-2) and was one of four Vikings in double figures. Conor Klusendorf added 15 points and Chris Siebert had 13. Center Erik Borresen picked up a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

D.J. Cupertino scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Wisconsin Lutheran (0-6).

The Vikings led by as many as nine points in the first half and held a 34-27 lead at the break.

Wisconsin Lutheran quickly cut into that lead in the second half and trimmed the margin to 34-33 on Russell Strutz’s layup with 18:11 left in the game.

The Vikings then went on a 10-0 run to seize control of the game. Borresen had a conventional three-point play in that run, and Mays capped it with a 3-pointer to give Lawrence a 44-33 lead with 15:29 left.

After Cupertino answered with a 3-pointer for the Warriors, Lawrence outscored Wisconsin Lutheran 20-9 over the next 6:55.  Freshman guard Brian Gryszkiewicz capped that run with a 3-pointer to give Lawrence its biggest lead of the game, 19 points, at 64-45 with 8:17 remaining.

The Warriors never got closer than the final margin of 11 points the rest of the way.

Lawrence, which has now won three straight, returns to action on Dec. 15 when it travels to Knox College for a Midwest Conference game.

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