APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team turned back a Carroll University rally on Tuesday and posted a 69-62 Midwest Conference victory at Alexander Gymnasium.
Jamie Nikitas scored 18 points, including two on a clutch jumper in the final minute, and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for the Vikings (5-8, 3-5 MWC). Jeremy Stephani came off the bench to add 15 points for Lawrence.
Bryan Nagy had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Carroll (7-6, 4-4). Kyle Keranen scored a team-best 18 points for the Pioneers.
Lawrence led 30-26 at the half but stretched that lead early in the second half. The Vikings scored eight consecutive points, including 3-pointers from Stephani and Trace Sonnleitner, to push the lad to 46-32 with 13:49 left.
Carroll responded with a 12-2 run, capped by a pair of Marcus Johnson free throws, to cut the lead to 48-44 with 9:37 left. The Pioneers kept reeling the Vikings in, and finally grabbed the lead at 61-59 on a pair of Keranen free throws with 2:15 remaining.
The Vikings broke Carroll’s press on the next possession and got a dunk from Mitch Willer, who picked up six points, five rebounds and three blocks, to tie the game at 61-61.
After a Keranen miss, Willer was fouled and knocked down a pair of free throws to give Lawrence a 63-61 lead. Johnson then missed a contested layup, and Nikitas hit a 17-foot fadeaway jumper with the shot clock running out to put the Vikings up 65-61 with 38 seconds left.
Keranen was fouled on the next possession and hit one free throw to cut the lead to 65-62, but the Vikings hit four consecutive free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the victory.
Sonnleitner added 11 points and five rebounds for the Vikings before fouling out, and Ryan DePouw chipped in with 10 points.