Men’s Basketball

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s basketball standout Jamie Nikitas was named Midwest Conference Player of the Week after leading the Vikings to two wins and hitting a scoring milestone.

Nikitas (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), a senior guard, averaged 34.5 points in two Lawrence victories and became the 23rd player in school history to score 1,000 points. On the week, Nikitas shot 59.5 percent from the floor while averaging 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game.

Nikitas scored 34 points, picked up three rebounds, two assists and six steals in Lawrence’s 76-72 Midwest Conference win at Beloit College on Dec. 2. He followed that with a career-high 35 points, six rebounds and five assists in a 77-67 conference victory over Illinois College on Dec. 5.

Nikitas now has 1,006 points and ranks 22nd on Lawrence’s career scoring list.

This is the second time Nikitas has won MWC Player of the Week during his career. He also took the honor on Dec. 8, 2014.

Lawrence improved to 3-3 on the season and 2-2 in league play. The Vikings return to action on Saturday when they travel to No. 7 UW-Stevens Point.

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University’s Jamie Nikitas poured in a career-high 35 points Saturday to lead the Vikings to a 77-67 Midwest Conference victory over Illinois College at Alexander Gymnasium.

Nikitas also became the 23rd player in Lawrence history to score 1,000 career points. He entered the game needing 29 to reach 1,000 and now has 1,006 for his career. Nikitas hit 13-of-19 shots from the floor and went 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. He also had six rebounds and five assists.

Tim Schappaugh, who left the game with an injury, and Max Stutsman led Illinois College (2-3, 0-2 MWC) with 15 points apiece.

Eight other players scored for the Vikings with Pete Winslow leading that group with eight points and a team-best eight rebounds. Winslow also picked up five assists.

The Blueboys led 57-56 midway through the second half before Lawrence surged ahead. Lawrence (3-3, 2-2) went on a 13-2 run to grab a 69-58 lead with 7:36 remaining. Ben Peterson, who finished with seven points, started the burst with two consecutive baskets, Nikitas followed with back-to-back 3-pointers and Connor Weas finished the run with another 3-pointer.

Illinois College fought back and trimmed the lead back to 69-65 with seven consecutive points. Weas knocked down a jumper to stem the tide, the Vikings got a stop on the defensive end and Mitch Willer scored to put Lawrence up 73-65 with 4:00 left.

The teams then traded several missed shots, and Lawrence led 75-67 after Nikitas’ layup with 1:13 left. The Blueboys were forced to foul and finally put the Vikings in the bonus with 28 seconds left. Nikitas, who topped his previous career high of 34 points that he matched at Beloit College just three days ago, made two free throws for the final margin.

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BELOIT, Wis. — Jamie Nikitas poured in 34 points Wednesday to lead the Lawrence University men’s basketball team to a 76-72 Midwest Conference victory over Beloit College at Flood Arena.

Nikitas tied his career scoring high set earlier this season, and Jeremy Stephani added 16 points for the Vikings (2-3, 1-2 MWC). Nikitas went 12-for-23 from the floor and 8-for-10 from the foul line, and he also picked up six steals, three rebounds and a pair of assists.

Steve McAfee led Beloit (2-3, 1-2) with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Lawrence led by as many as 15 points early in the second half, but the Bucs whittled the lead down late at the foul line. Beloit hit five consecutive free throws to trim the margin to 67-64 with 2:24 remaining.

Nikitas countered with a jumper for the Vikings, but Rudy Bentley answered with a layup to cut the lead back to 69-66. Bentley finished with 15 points.

The Bucs then fouled Nikitas, who converted a pair of free throws with 37 seconds left for a 71-66 edge. McAfee missed a 3-pointer, and Nikitas was fouled again. He made one free throw to push the lead to 72-66, but the Bucs scored the next four points, sandwiched around a pair of Lawrence misses at the foul line, to cut the lead to 72-70.

Nikitas then made four consecutive free throws in the final eight seconds to seal the victory.

Beloit built a 19-12 advantage early, but the Vikings took command for the rest of the half. Lawrence went on a 19-3 run to take a 31-22 lead with 4:48 left in the opening half.

Ben Peterson hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Vikings during that stretch and finished with eight points in the game. Mitch Willer added nine points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks for Lawrence.

Lawrence would go on to lead 42-32 at the half, and the Vikings went on a 7-2 outburst to start the second half. Stephani’s 3-pointer capped that run to give Lawrence its biggest lead of the game at 49-34.

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APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team plays a pair of Midwest Conference games this week. The Vikings hit the road to take on Beloit College on Wednesday before returning back to Alexander Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon to host Illinois College.

Preview

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lake Forest College men’s basketball team took the lead midway through the second half Wednesday and then held off a late charge by Lawrence University to post a 77-69 Midwest Conference victory at Alexander Gymnasium.

Freshman Danny Sotos scored a game-high 29 points for Lake Forest (1-2, 1-0 MWC) and hit 10-of-15 shots from the floor, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Jim Schick added a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Foresters.

Jamie Nikitas led Lawrence (1-3, 1-1) with 28 points, and he picked up five rebounds, five assists and six steals.

The Vikings led 45-40 after Mitch Willer’s free throw with 14:10 remaining when the Foresters surged ahead. Lake Forest went on a 13-1 run, capped by Sotos’ layup with 9:14 left, to take a 53-46 lead.

Lawrence came right back as Evan McLaughlin scored five points as part of a 9-4 Lawrence burst to cut the lead to 57-55. The Foresters then scored 10 of the game’s next 12 points to push the advantage back to 67-57.

The Vikings battled back, getting a key 3-pointer from Jeremy Stephani, and trimmed the margin to 72-69 on Nikitas’ layup with 49 seconds left. The Foresters then made 5-of-7 free throws in the final 31 seconds to seal the win.

Ben Peterson scored a career-high 10 points for Lawrence, and Pete Winslow added nine points.

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APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team attempts to rebound from a pair of tough losses when it takes on Lake Forest College in a Midwest Conference game on Wednesday at Alexander Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. The Vikings had a one-point loss and an overtime defeat in their last two games.

Preview

RIPON, Wis. — Ty Sabin’s 3-pointer in overtime gave the Ripon College men’s basketball team the lead for good Saturday, and the Red Hawks went on to an 88-80 Midwest Conference victory over Lawrence University at the Storzer Center.

Ty Sabin scored 34 points to pace Ripon (1-1, 1-0 MWC), and Ty Ketz added 21. Koy Brecklin had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Red Hawks.

Jamie Nikitas scored a career-high 34 points, grabbed nine rebounds, handed out five assists and picked up three steals for the Vikings (1-2, 0-1). Troy Miller added 16 points for Lawrence.

After Pete Winslow’s three-point play gave the Vikings a 77-75 lead with 3:06 left in overtime, Sabin countered with a 3-pointer for a 78-77 advantage.

After the Vikings missed a 3-pointer, Ketz made a pair of free throws and Sabin followed with a layup as Ripon pulled away.

The Vikings trailed by 10 with six minutes left in regulation, but Lawrence went on a 12-1 run to take the lead.

Ben Peterson hit a jumper and Miller made a pair of free throws to start the rally. Jeremy Stephani and Miller hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and Nikitas’ layup with 3:29 left put Lawrence up 63-62.

Lawrence was up 70-66 after Nikitas’ jumper with 27 seconds left, but Brecklin grabbed an offensive rebound on the next possession and was fouled. He hit the first free throw, missed the second and Ripon grabbed the rebound again.

Sabin was then fouled on a 3-point try and made all three free throws with 17 seconds left to tie the game at 70-70. The Vikings missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it.

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team missed a long 3-pointer in the final seconds, and Wisconsin Lutheran College hung on for a 71-70 non-conference victory on Wednesday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Jake Jarnigo and Tanner Schieve scored 15 points apiece and Jim Marose added 14 to pace the Warriors (1-1).

Jamie Nikitas led Lawrence (1-1) and all scorers with 23 points, and he picked up five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Mitch Willer added 17 points and four rebounds for the Vikings, and Troy Miller chipped in with 10 points.

Wisconsin Lutheran had grabbed a 71-70 lead on Collin Kennedy’s putback with 13 seconds remaining.

Nikitas brought the ball up the floor for the Vikings but had it knocked away momentarily. He fought to get the ball back and was forced to shoot a 3-pointer from about 35 feet in the final seconds, but it caromed off the backboard and rim as time expired.

Lawrence looked like it might pull away early in the second half. Miller hit a 3-pointer less than a minute into the half to put the Vikings up 40-31.

The Vikings led by as many as 12 and went up 49-39 on Nikitas’ jumper with 14:11 left. Wisconsin Lutheran then went on a 17-2 run over the next seven minutes to take a 56-51 lead with 7:21 left.

The Vikings immediately countered and got a three-point play from Willer to tie the game at 56-56. The Warriors pulled out to a 67-62 lead, but Miller hit a 3-pointer and Nikitas followed with a layup to tie the game at 67-67 with 1:40 remaining.

Nikitas made one free throw to give Lawrence at 68-67 edge, but Chase Nowak’s jumper gave the Warriors a 69-68 lead. Willer countered with a layup off a nice feed from Nikitas to give the Vikings a 70-69 edge with 32 seconds left.

Jarnigo missed a jumper for the Warriors, but Kennedy collected the rebound and his putback with 13 seconds left was the difference.

Box score

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team opens its home season on Wednesday when the Vikings take on Wisconsin Lutheran College at Alexander Gymnasium. The game tips off at 7 p.m. The Vikings then head to Ripon College on Saturday afternoon for the Midwest Conference opener.

Preview

RIVER FOREST, Ill. — Jamie Nikitas posted a double-double, and the Lawrence University men’s basketball team edged Dominican (Ill.) University 74-72 in a non-conference game Saturday.

Dominican missed a pair of shots, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it, in the final six seconds.

Nikitas scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds for the Vikings, who defeated Dominican in the season opener for the second consecutive year. Nikitas also added four assists and a pair of steals.

Jeremy Stephani added 17 points and hit five 3-pointers for the Vikings, and Mitch Willer had 15 points.

Tim Robertson scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for the Stars.

Lawrence trailed 8-7 early, but the Vikings went on a 24-10 run to grab a 31-18 lead with 4:51 left in the first half. Stephani, Troy Miller, Pete Winslow and Connor Weas all hit 3-pointers during that stretch for the Vikings.

The Vikings would go on to lead 39-27 at the half, but Dominican quickly trimmed the margin to 43-40 early in the second half.

Dominican would take its biggest lead at 57-54, but the Vikings would take the lead back for good on Nikitas’ layup with 7:46 left. It was a tight margin the rest of the way, and Lawrence led 70-66 on Nikitas’ layup with 2:59 left.

Dominican scored the next four points to tie it at 70-70 with 58 seconds left, but Stephani buried a 3-pointer for a 73-70 lead with 38 ticks remaining.

The teams traded free throws, and Lawrence still led by two when Josh Mayberry missed a driving layup with six seconds left. Stephani grabbed the rebound but stepped out of bounds in the corner with 1.9 left. Quinn Pokora took the inbounds pass and fired a 3-pointer from the top of the key, and he missed as time expired.

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