APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University drops the puck on the second half of the season this weekend when the Vikings face Concordia University Wisconsin in a home-and-home Northern Collegiate Hockey Association series. The Vikings travel to Mequon, Wis., for a 7 p.m. game Friday at the Ozaukee Ice Center, and Lawrence hosts Concordia at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Appleton Family Ice Center.
Author: Joseph Vanden Acker
Vikings pull away late to turn back Knox
APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team pulled away in the final five minutes Monday to post a 68-61 Midwest Conference victory over Knox College at Alexander Gymnasium.
The Vikings got a late 10-2 run featuring key baskets from Jeremy Stephani and Ben Peterson to take the lead and maintain control over a scrappy Knox squad.
Stephani led four Vikings (3-6, 3-2 MWC) in double figures with 15 points. Mitch Willer added a double-double of 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for Lawrence. Quinn Fisher picked up 13 points, and Pete Winslow added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Vikings.
Marko Protic scored 17 points to pace Knox (1-9, 1-4).
After 13 lead changes and six ties, Knox led 55-53 before Willer’s layup tied it with 5:06 left. Stephani then converted a critical three-point play to put the Vikings up 58-55 with 4:19 remaining.
The teams then traded a pair of free throws before Peterson buried a 3-pointer from the left wing very late in the shot clock to put Lawrence up 63-57 with 2:26 left. Peterson finished with nine points, going 3-for-7 from beyond the arc, and added five rebounds.
Jonathan Damota countered with a layup for the Prairie Fire, but Knox misfired on its next three shots and was forced to foul. Fisher went 4-for-5 from the line and Willer was 1-for-2 in the final 40 seconds to seal the victory.
Lawrence, playing its third game in five days, went 15-for-21 from the foul line for the game. Lawrence put together one of its best rebounding games of the season, and the Vikings were a plus-12 on the glass (41-29).
Lawrence swept the season series from the Prairie Fire, and the Vikings have now won 11 straight and 27 of the last 30 against Knox.
Strong second quarter powers Knox past Lawrence
APPLETON, Wis. — A big second quarter Monday pushed the Knox College women’s basketball team to a 75-57 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University at Alexander Gymnasium.
Knox outscored the Vikings 19-2 over the final 7:32 of the second quarter to turn around a close game. The Prairie Fire led 42-24 at the half.
Jarrelyn McCall led Knox (6-4, 3-2 MWC) with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Knox had a balanced attack with three players in double figures and six players with at least nine points.
Aubrey Scott led three Lawrence players in double figures with 12 points, and she added six rebounds. Leah Reeves added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Vikings (2-8, 0-5), and Olivia Hoesley had 10 points and nine rebounds. Shonell Benjamin grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for the Vikings.
The Vikings trailed 23-17 after the opening period, but Reeves got a layup and Scott buried a 3-pointer to cut Knox’s lead to 23-22 with 8:14 left in the second quarter. Knox then hit four 3-pointers, sandwiched around a layup, to pull out to a 37-24 edge.
The Vikings opened the second half with a 3-pointer from Nicole Cummins and Hoesley jumper to cut the lead to 42-29. Knox immediately stretched the lead back to 47-29, but the Vikings scored six straight points, capped by Lauren Deveikis’ jumper, to cut the margin to 47-35.
Knox then put the Vikings away by scoring the final 10 points of the third quarter with Karlie Thorn’s 3-pointer giving the Prairie Fire a 57-35 lead after three. Lawrence didn’t get closer than 18 points in the fourth quarter.
The Week Ahead: January 2-8
APPLETON, Wis. — It’s a full week of games for nearly all the winter season teams as basketball tips off 2017 with games on Monday afternoon. Lawrence gets back into Midwest Conference play with games against Knox and Monmouth this week. Lawrence hockey returns to Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play with a series against Concordia (Wis.), and the Lawrence swimmers travel to UW-Oshkosh on Saturday.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (2-7, 0-4 MWC)
Opponent: Lawrence vs. Knox (5-4, 2-2 MWC)
When and Where: Monday, Jan. 2, 1 p.m., Alexander Gymnasium.
Webcast: Lawrence vs. Knox
The Series: In a series that started in the 1989-90 season, it is all tied at 19-19. Knox has won the last five meetings, and Lawrence’s last victory was a 93-92 win at Knox during the 2013-14 season.
Opponent: Lawrence at Monmouth (1-8, 1-3 MWC)
When and Where: Saturday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m., Glennie Gymnasium, Monmouth, Ill.
Webcast: Lawrence at Monmouth
The Series: Monmouth holds a 20-11 lead in a series that started in the 1988-89 season. The Scots have won the last 16 meetings, and Lawrence’s last wins came courtesy of a season sweep during the 2006-07 campaign.
Fast Fact: Lawrence sophomore forward Leah Reeves had a trio of big games during the Vikings’ recent nonconference schedule. Reeves averaged 16.7 points while shooting 55 percent from the floor to go with 5.7 rebounds in her last three games. Reeves, who scored a career-high 24 points vs. Widener, has taken over the team lead in scoring at 10.0 points per game.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (2-6, 2-2 MWC)
Opponent: Lawrence vs. Knox (1-8, 1-3 MWC)
When and Where: Monday, Jan. 2, 3 p.m., Alexander Gymnasium.
Webcast: Lawrence vs. Knox
The Series: In a series that goes back to 1925, Knox holds a slim 61-59 advantage, but the rivalry has been dominated by Lawrence over the past 15 years. The Vikings have won 10 straight over Knox and 26 of the last 29 meetings dating back to the 2000-01 season.
Opponent: Lawrence at Monmouth (2-7, 2-2 MWC)
When and Where: Saturday, Jan. 7, 3 p.m., Glennie Gymnasium, Monmouth, Ill.
Webcast: Lawrence at Monmouth
The Series: Monmouth has a 70-40 lead in a series that started in 1926, but Lawrence has had the better of the rivalry over the last decade-plus. Lawrence is 19-5, including a 12-game win streak mixed in there, against the Scots since the start of the 2002-03 season.
Fast Fact: Junior forward Ben Peterson averaged nearly a double-double in the Vikings’ two games at the JustAGame Field House against a pair of WIAC foes, including unbeaten UW-Whitewater. Peterson averaged 12 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in those two games and is now averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Senior forward Mitch Willer shot 65 percent from the floor in the last two games, and his shooting percentage actually went down. He’s hitting at a 67.1 percent clip from the floor while averaging a team-high 15.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest.
HOCKEY (4-6-1, 3-2-1 NCHA)
Opponent: Lawrence vs. Concordia (Wis.) (7-4-1, 4-3-1 NCHA)
When and Where: Friday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m., Ozaukee Ice Center, Mequon, Wis.; Saturday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m., Appleton Family Ice Center.
Friday Webcast: Lawrence at CUW; Saturday Webcast: Lawrence vs. CUW
The Series: Lawrence holds a 13-5-2 lead in a series that started in the 2007-08 season. The Vikings are 3-0-1 in their last four meetings with the Falcons.
Fast Fact: Both of these teams are off to strong starts early in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association season. Lawrence is tied for second place in the North Division, and Concordia holds down second place in the South Division.
SWIMMING
Opponent: Lawrence at UW-Oshkosh
When and Where: Saturday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m., Albee Hall, Oshkosh, Wis.
Fast Fact: Lawrence swept the Midwest Conference Swimmer of the Week honors after the Vikings’ meet in Florida before Christmas. Danielle Millin was the women’s winner and Christian Bell took the men’s honor as the Vikings split a dual meet with Urbana University.
Blue Devils edge Lawrence
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — The UW-Stout men’s basketball team held on for a 74-71 nonconference victory over Lawrence University Friday at the JustAGame Field House.
Mitch Willer scored 18 points and added eight rebounds to lead three Vikings in double figures. Ben Peterson added 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Lawrence (2-6), and Jeremy Stephani picked up 11 points.
John Keefe led UW-Stout (8-2) with a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds.
Stout built its biggest lead of 10 points at 59-49 with 7:17 left but Lawrence responded. The Vikings went on a 10-2 run, capped by Abhishek Venkatesh’s 3-pointer, to trim the lead to 61-59 with 3:47 remaining.
The Vikings then got back-to-back 3-pointers from Peterson to tie the game at 65-65 with 2:21 left. Sam Ortmann countered with a 3-pointer for the Blue Devils for a 68-65 advantage.
Lawrence then missed a 3-pointer, committed an offensive foul and had a turnover as Stout stretched its lead to 72-65. The Vikings were forced to foul, but the Blue Devils made just two of their four free throws in the final 25 seconds.
Lawrence got a layups from Stephani, Pete Winslow and Willer to trim the lead to three before time ran out.
The Vikings hit 22-of-33 attempts (66.7 percent) of their two-point field goal attempts, but Lawrence went just 7-of-21 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Stout won the game at the foul line by hitting 17-of-26 attempts while the Vikings were just 6-for-12.
Ranked Warhawks shoot past Vikings in second half
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — Scotty Tyler scored 30 points Thursday to lead No. 16 UW-Whitewater to a 97-71 nonconference victory over Lawrence University at the JustAGame Field House.
Whitewater (10-0) went on a scoring run early in the second half to stretch its lead to 17 points, and the Warhawks weren’t challenged after that. Whitewater shot 60 percent (15-for-25) from the floor in the second half, including 6-for-12 from 3-point range.
Ben Peterson paced Lawrence (2-5) with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Jeremy Stephani also had 10 points for the Vikings, and George Mavrakis and Evan McLaughlin added nine points apiece.
Whitewater led 44-38 at the half and stretched that to 11 points before Pete Winslow’s layup cut the margin to 53-44 at the 17:07 mark. The Warhawks then scored eight consecutive points to grab a 61-44 edge.
Winslow’s 3-pointer cut the lead back to 63-49 at the 13:02 mark, but the Warhawks responded. Whitewater scored 10 straight points to push the lead to 73-49, and Lawrence got no closer than 22 points after that.
Strong first half leads Cardinals past Lawrence
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s (Minn.) University women’s basketball team pulled away in the first half Thursday and went on to a 72-51 nonconference victory over Lawrence University at Saint Mary’s Gym.
Brandi Blattner posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds to pace Saint Mary’s (8-3). Sam Jones also scored 17 points for the Cardinals.
Leah Reeves poured in a game-high 19 points for Lawrence (2-7), and she pulled down a team-best seven rebounds. Aubrey Scott added eight points for the Vikings, and Olivia Hoesley and Grace Minogue had seven points apiece.
Saint Mary’s pulled out to a 19-4 lead just five minutes into the game, and the Cardinals led 24-13 after the first quarter. Minogue scored the first five points of the second quarter for the Vikings to trim the lead to 25-18.
Saint Mary’s rebounded to stretch the lead to 44-27 at the half. The Cardinals led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, but consecutive baskets from Shonell Benjamin, Scott and Reeves cut the margin to 58-43 after three periods.
Nicole Cummins then drained a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter to pull Lawrence to 58-46. The Cardinals scored the game’s next six points, and Lawrence didn’t get closer than 15 points the rest of the way.
The Week Ahead: December 26-January 1
APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University basketball teams are both in action before we ring in the new year. The Lawrence women travel to Winona, Minn., for a nonconference game at St. Mary’s University, and the Lawrence men face a pair of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes. The Vikings take on No. 16 UW-Whitewater and UW-Stout on a neutral court in Wisconsin Dells.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (2-6)
Opponent: Lawrence at St. Mary’s University (7-3)
When and Where: Thursday, Dec. 29, 5 p.m., St. Mary’s Gymnasium, Winona, Minn.
Webcast/Live Stats: Lawrence at St. Mary’s
The Series: This is the second meeting between the team and St. Mary’s posted a 73-49 victory in the first game, which took place at Alexander Gymnasium during the 2015-16 season.
Fast Fact: Lawrence played some pretty solid basketball in its two games in Florida, with the exception of a stretch of less than four minutes in both games. The Vikings gave up big scoring runs in the second quarter of each game, but the games were virtually even for the other 36 minutes. Sophomore Leah Reeves and senior Aubrey Scott both posted career scoring highs in Florida. Reeves went off for 24 points against Widener, and Scott poured in 17 against Randolph.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (2-4)
Opponent: Lawrence vs. No. 16 UW-Whitewater (9-0)
When and Where: Thursday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m., Just A Game Field House, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
Webcast: Lawrence vs. UW-Whitewater
The Series: In a series that dates all the way back to 1915, Lawrence holds a 2-1 advantage. The teams played twice back in 1915, including a 51-1 Lawrence victory, but have met just once in the modern era. Whitewater topped the Vikings 73-56 during the 2013-14 season.
Opponent: Lawrence vs. UW-Stout (6-2)
When and Where: Friday, Dec. 30, 5 p.m., Just A Game Field House, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
Webcast: Lawrence vs. UW-Stout
The Series: Lawrence won the only meeting between the teams and that was a 42-39 victory way back in 1938.
Fast Fact: Mother Nature gave the Vikings an 18-day break between games when their Dec. 17 game at MSOE was postponed due to a snowstorm. No make-up has yet been set. Senior forward Mitch Willer has saved his best season for last. Willer, coming off career highs of 30 points and 15 rebounds vs. Grinnell, ranks 11th in the Midwest Conference in scoring at 15.8 points per game. He is second in shooting at 67.7 percent, third in rebounding at 8.2 per game and first in blocks at 2.2 per contest.
Millin, Bell sweep MWC Swimmer of the Week honors
APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University’s Danielle Millin and Christian Bell have swept the Midwest Conference Swimmer of the Week awards.
Millin (Monona, Wis./Monona Grove) won the women’s award, and Bell (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) captured the men’s honor. This is the first time Millin and Bell have won MWC Swimmer of the Week honors.
Millin, a senior, won two events and took second in another at the Fun in the Sun Classic in Venice, Fla., on Dec. 14.
Millin won the 50-yard backstroke in 30.58 seconds and swam on the winning 200 medley relay team, which took first in 1:59.09. She also grabbed second in the 50 freestyle in 26.69 seconds. Led by Millin, Lawrence defeated Urbana University 71-41.
Bell, also a senior, took one first and posted two other top-three finishes at the Fun in the Sun Classic.
Bell tied for first place in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.10 seconds. He also was part of the 200 medley relay team that placed second in 1:46.66 seconds. He also grabbed third in the 50 butterfly in 26.93 seconds. Lawrence was edged at the meet by Urbana University 62.33-38.67.
Lawrence takes a break for the holidays and returns to action on Jan. 7 when it travels to UW-Oshkosh for a dual meet.
Second quarter pivotal as Vikings fall to Randolph
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A big second-quarter run put the Randolph College women’s basketball team in control Sunday, and the Wildcats went on to a 72-52 nonconference win over Lawrence University at the St. Pete Classic.
Trailing after one quarter, Randolph went on a 19-0 run to open the second period to take a 29-11 lead.
Three players posted double-doubles for Randolph (6-4), led by Korin Harris’ 19 points and 12 rebounds. Alexis Calloway added 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. The Wildcats out-rebounded Lawrence 70-33.
Aubrey Scott scored 17 points to pace Lawrence (2-6) and went 3-for-7 from 3-point range. Grace Minogue, Leah Reeves and Olivia Hoesley added seven points apiece, and Shonell Benjamin had a team-best eight rebounds.
Natalie Kramer’s free throw gave Lawrence an 11-10 lead after the first quarter, but Randolph hit seven of its first 12 shots from the floor and went 5-for-5 from the foul line to take command.
Lawrence stopped the run with a 3-pointer from Minogue but couldn’t get any closer than 15 points in the second quarter and trailed 39-21 at the half.
Randolph had trouble pulling away in the second half, and the Vikings made a late run. Lawrence was down 63-41 when the Vikings went on an 11-2 outburst. Scott hit a pair of 3-pointer and Hoesley added another to trim the margin to 65-52 with 2:53 left, but that’s as close as the Vikings would get.