Men’s Basketball

Category: Men’s Basketball

Siebert pours in 30 as Vikings roll past Wisconsin Lutheran

APPLETON, Wis. — Chris Siebert poured in 30 points to lead the Lawrence University men’s basketball team to a 92-77 nonconference victory over Wisconsin Lutheran College in the season opener for both teams.

Siebert, a senior guard, hit 11 of 15 shots from the floor, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Siebert, who matched the career high for points he set last season at Monmouth College, also had three rebounds, four assists and a steal.

All five starters scored in double figures for Lawrence (1-0), and the starters combined to shoot 30-for-50 (60 percent) from the floor. Ryan DePouw added 14 points for the Vikings, and Jamie Nikitas had 12 points, a game-high nine rebounds and a game-high seven steals. Brian Gryszkiewicz also had 12 points, and Davis DeWolfe had 11.

Jake Jarnigo led Wisconsin Lutheran (0-1) with 25 points and eight rebounds.

The Warriors led only once in the first half, by one point, and Lawrence got a jumper from Siebert to post a 41-36 lead at the break.

The Vikings pulled away early in the second half with a 7-0 run to push the advantage to 53-44 with 16:26 remaining. Lawrence then went on another 7-0 spurt, capped by DeWolfe’s 3-pointer, to build a 65-49 lead with 13:30 left.

Lawrence maintained that advantage for the rest of the game. The Vikings led by as many as 22 points and never led by less than 14 points the rest of the way.

Lawrence is back in action on Saturday when the Vikings travel to No. 4 UW-Stevens Point.

Box score

Inside LU Athletics: Experienced Vikings ready for challenging season

Joel DePagter likes his team. It’s not that he simply likes how they play or the amount of talent they have. He genuinely likes his team, and that fact should make the upcoming season a lot of fun.

The Lawrence University men’s basketball coach and his Vikings open their season Friday when they host Wisconsin Lutheran College, and Lawrence then travels to No. 4 UW-Stevens Point on Saturday. The games this weekend are part of what DePagter hopes is an enjoyable next four months.

“It’s important that we enjoy the process. You can’t just go from point A to the conference tournament without enjoying getting there,” DePagter said. “I love these guys. It makes every day fun to be around them. They know they can do it, and I believe in this team. Now we just need to go and do what we do.”

Lawrence, which has its sights set on getting back to the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament, is built around its eight seniors, led by two-time All-Midwest Conference guard Chris Siebert. Siebert led the Vikings in scoring last season at 15.1 points per game and was tops on the squad at 3.9 assists per contest.

“Chris can put the team on his back every once in a while because of his talent,” said DePagter, who was quick to add, “we’re a better team when Chris is one of the guys and we’re not trying to do everything through him.”

In addition to Siebert, Lawrence has experienced and talented seniors in point guard Brian Gryszkiewicz, shooters Tyler Mazur and Max Burgess and big men Davis DeWolfe and Chase Nelson.

“Most importantly, a strength of ours has to be the experience with the number of guys and the minutes they’ve played,” DePagter said. “Being able to have all those guys back  is crucial. Expectations are high for these guys. They’ve been in a lot of situations, but it doesn’t change that we have to get better in some areas.”

Add to the senior class returning junior forward Ryan DePouw, who started every game last year and averaged 10.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. The Vikings also bring back junior swingman Andrew Borresen and three sophomores, Jamie Nikitas, Trace Sonnleitner and Troy Miller, who all played big roles as rookies.

“My job, and it might be my hardest job, is to find out how to use our weapons the right way. That is something that will take some time in these nonconference games,” DePagter said.

“We need everybody to step up, not just the guys who are starting. There will be games where we play 12, 13, 14 guys, and that’s going to be tough to manage. Our strength is our numbers. We will bring some guys off the bench that could be guys who could easily start.”

Lawrence came close to reaching the tournament last season when the Vikings tied for fourth place and then lost out on a tiebreaker. The league is tough from top to bottom again this season, and St. Norbert College is definitely the favorite to repeat as champions.

“Being honest, (St. Norbert is) far and way the favorite. After that, I think there are four or five teams that could take second place. At the same time, those four or five teams could take sixth or seventh place,” DePagter said.

“We have a team, that if we do some things, we are going to be a tough team to beat. We learned the hard way last year in some ways. One game in November can cost you your season. The guys have been incredibly focused because of what happened last year, and the way we ended last season.”

Two straight for Barthelmess

Lawrence quarterback Luke Barthelmess earned his third Midwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor in the wake of the Vikings’ victory this past Saturday.

Barthelmess threw the game-winning touchdown pass on the game’s final play to give Lawrence a 23-20 victory over Knox  in the Banta Bowl. With three seconds left, Barthelmess took the snap, scrambled to his right and then completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to his younger brother, Issac, who made a beautiful diving catch near the pylon.

It was the 59th touchdown pass of his career, which ties Barthelmess with All-American Jim Petran for the Lawrence record. On the day, Barthelmess was 30 of 47 for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 12 times for 81 yards and a touchdown. On the final drive, Barthelmess was 5-for-8 passing for 69 yards.

This is the third time this season and the second consecutive week that Barthelmess has been named a conference player of the week. Barthelmess earned the honor last week against Grinnell College and picked up the honor in the second week of the season for his performance against Lake Forest College.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.

Lawrence vs. Wisconsin Lutheran/No. 4 UW-Stevens Point preview

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team tips off its season on Friday night at Alexander Gymnasium when the Vikings host Wisconsin Lutheran College in a nonconference. The game begins at 7 p.m. The Vikings then travel to No. 4 UW-Stevens Point for a 7 p.m. game against the defending Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions.

Preview

Lawrence student-athletes named to Academic All-Midwest Conference team

APPLETON, Wis. — More than 100 Lawrence University student-athletes have been chosen for the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.

Lawrence had 133 student-athletes earn the academic all-conference honor, which is given after having a grade point average of 3.33 during that academic year.

The Lawrence women’s swimming and diving team had the largest numbers of honorees with 12. Women’s tennis and women’s indoor track both had 11 and volleyball and women’s outdoor track both had 10.

Complete list

Lawrence student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration

APPLETON, Wis. — Nine Lawrence University student-athletes were recently honored at the 2013 Honors Celebration.

The awards and winners are as follows.

The Ruth Bateman Award is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete. Senior Rose Tepper (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) was honored after an outstanding career in track and field. A five-time all-conference honoree in the high jump, Tepper was 2010 Midwest Conference outdoor champion. Tepper, who holds the Lawrence record indoors in the high jump, was a qualifier for the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships.

The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Senior Tyler Mazur (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg) completed an outstanding football career at Lawrence and remains a key contributor to the men’s basketball squad. Mazur finished his football career ranked fourth in receiving yards (2,253), fifth in catches (130), fifth in touchdown catches (25), fourth in total touchdowns (37) and fifth in points (224). Mazur also was a key member of the men’s basketball team and broke the school record by making nine 3-pointers in a game this past season.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Brandon Boelter (Saginaw, Mich./Heritage) earned the award after an outstanding rookie season with the Lawrence hockey team. Boelter was a first-team All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selection and was named to the All-MCHA Freshmen Team. Boelter led all defensemen in the conference in scoring with six goals and 15 assists for 21 points.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Hayley Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) won the award after a big impact on the swimming and track and field teams. Cardinal broke the Lawrence records in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 breaststroke and placed second and third, respectively, in those events at the Midwest Conference Championships. Cardinal also was part of two record-setting relay teams. Cardinal also won a letter in track and field.

The Ralph V. Landis Award was established by the Lettermen of Lawrence in honor of Dr. Landis, physician to Lawrence students from 1926-78, and is awarded for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics by a senior male athlete. Senior hockey player Brad Scurfield (Midland, Mich./Midland) was an All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selection and was the team’s Most Valuable Player each of the past two seasons. Scurfield finished his career ranked in the top eight in school history in points, goals, assists and power-play goals.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Men is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior man in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Sam Stevens (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port) was a four-time Midwest Conference champion in track and field was a 15-time All-Midwest Conference performer. The 2011 Midwest Conference cross country champion, Stevens led the Vikings to the team title. Stevens, who holds Lawrence track records in the mile, 3,000 meters and distance medley relay, was a four-time all-conference honoree in cross country.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Women is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior woman in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit, and scholarship. Cathy Kaye (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sevastopol) was a four-year starter in both softball and basketball and also earned a letter in cross country. Kaye was a three-time All-Midwest Conference softball selection and also earned All-Great Lakes Region honors. The team’s center fielder, Kaye also served as team captain.

The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. Shannon Murray (Lawrenceville, Ga./Dacula) earned the award for the second consecutive year. A four-year starter in softball, Murray was named to the All-Midwest Conference honors for the last two seasons and was the 2013 North Division Pitcher of the Year. A team captain, Murray also was a two-time All-Great Lakes Region softball selection. Murray also served as a student athletic trainer for both women’s tennis and basketball.

The Letterwinner Award is presented by the L Club to those outstanding seniors who have earned eight or more letters. The winners are:

Amanda Dwyer (Ralston, Neb./Ralston), cross country and track and field;

Cathy Kaye (Sturgeon Bay, Wis./Sevastopol), basketball, cross country, softball;

Sam Stevens (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port), cross country and track and field;

Rose Tepper (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon), indoor and outdoor track and field.

Siebert earns all-conference honors for second straight year

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s basketball standout Chris Siebert has been named to the All-Midwest Conference team for the second consecutive season.

Siebert (Baraboo, Wis./Baraboo) was a second-team selection for the second straight year.

Siebert averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 18 conference games. Overall, Siebert averaged 15.1 points, 3.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.

In league games, Siebert shot 42.7 percent from the floor, and he finished fifth in the conference in 3-point shooting at 46.1 percent. Siebert shot 85.7 percent from the foul line, and that ranked fourth in the conference. Siebert made 26 consecutive free throws during one stretch of conference play.

Siebert scored in double figures in all but three conference games and poured in a career-high 30 points in Lawrence’s victory at Monmouth College on Jan. 26. Siebert also had a season-high seven assists in both games against Cornell College.

Lawrence finished tied for fourth place in the Midwest Conference with an 11-7 record. The Vikings were 13-10 overall.

Klusendorf named MWC Player of the Week

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University men’s basketball standout Conor Klusendorf has been named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

Klusendorf (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy), a senior forward, picked up the honor after leading Lawrence to a pair of victories to complete the regular season. Klusendorf averaged 21 points per game while shooting better than 65 percent from the floor in the two contests.

In a 63-61 win at Lake Forest College last Tuesday, Klusendorf scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds while hitting 8-of-13 shots from the floor. In a 114-106 overtime win over Grinnell College on Saturday, Klusendorf again scored 21 points and hit 9-of-13 shots from the floor. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

For the week, Klusendorf averaged 21.0 points while shooting 65.4 percent (17-26) from the floor. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds per game and 1.0 blocks per contest.

On the season, Klusendorf averaged 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 60 percent (105-175) from the floor. He also averaged 1.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Klusendorf finished his career as Lawrence’s career blocks leader with 114.

Lawrence finished the season with a 13-10 record, including an 11-7 mark in Midwest Conference play.

Lawrence tops Grinnell 114-106 in overtime

APPLETON, Wis. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team pulled away early in overtime and used clutch free-throw shooting to post a 114-106 Midwest Conference victory over Grinnell College on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Senior forward Conor Klusendorf, playing in his final game for Lawrence (13-10, 11-7 MWC), led the Vikings with 21 points and he added eight rebounds. Tyler Mazur scored 20 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds for the Vikings.

Freshman guard Jamie Nikitas added 19 points for the Vikings and was clutch at the foul line in the overtime, going 7-for-8 from the line in the extra period. Ryan DePouw added 18 points and Chris Siebert, who battled foul trouble all afternoon, had 14 points. Brian Gryszkiewicz picked up nine assists and five steals for the Vikings.

Griffin Lentsch paced Grinnell (17-5, 14-4) with 27 points, and Patrick Maher added 25 for the Pioneers. The loss was costly for Grinnell, which lost a share of the Midwest Conference championship and the right to host the conference tournament. St. Norbert College defeated Illinois College on Saturday to win the league title and will host the conference tournament.

Grinnell pulled away late in the first half as the Pioneers broke a 39-39 tie with a 20-6 run for a 59-45 lead. The Vikings recovered in the final minute with baskets from Chase Nelson and Troy Miller to trim the margin to 59-50 at the half.

Grinnell shot 19-for-38 in the first half, including 8-for-17 from beyond the 3-point line. The Pioneers cooled off a bit in the second half, and Lawrence shot itself back into the game.

The Vikings went on a 15-4 run that included three 3-pointers from Siebert, to take a 71-70 lead with 11:28 left in the second half. Lawrence pushed the lead to 88-80 on Mazur’s 3-pointer with 5:10 left, but Grinnell battled back.

The Pioneers went on an 11-1 run, capped by Maher’s 3-pointer, to take a 91-89 lead with 1:54 remaining in the second half. Lawrence got a pair of free throws from DePouw and a steal and layup from Gryszkiewicz to lead 93-91 with 1:11 left.

The Vikings led 95-92 after two Gryszkiewicz free throws with 20 seconds left, but Jesse Ney hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left to tie it and force the overtime.

Lawrence opened the overtime with a dunk from Klusendorf and a nifty bank shot from Siebert. Klusendorf followed with a layup while Grinnell missed its first three shots from the floor, and the Vikings led 101-95 with 3:21 left.

Joe Rogers hit one free throw for Grinnell, but the Vikings spent the rest of the overtime at the foul line. Lawrence went 11-for-12 from the line in the final 2:47 of overtime to seal the victory.

Grinnell hit just 3-of-12 shots from the floor in the overtime and turned the ball over three times.

Lawrence finished the game 30-of-44 (68.2 percent) from the foul line, and the Vikings shot 58.7 percent (37-63) from the floor.

Box score

Vikings rally in second half to top Lake Forest

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit and beat Lake Forest College 63-61 in a Midwest Conference game on Tuesday night.

Conor Klusendorf had his third 20-plus point game of the season to pace Lawrence (12-10, 10-7 MWC). The senior forward finished with a game-high 21 points and added five rebounds for the Vikings, who have won four straight.

Jamie Nikitas and Chris Siebert added 13 points apiece for the Vikings, and Tyler Mazur had 10 points.

Jeff Beck paced Lake Forest (7-15, 5-12) with 20 points, and Chris Madson grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.

The Foresters led by only one early in the second half, but Lake Forest pushed that lead to 41-31 with 14:37 remaining in the game. The Foresters were up by eight at 47-39 when the Vikings rallied.

Klusendorf scored six points and Siebert and Brian Gryszkiewicz both added a basket as Lawrence went on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 49-49 with 6:59 left.

The game was still tied at 57-57 when Siebert scored on a layup to put the Vikings up by two with 2:07 left. After a free throw by Brian Madson cut the lead to 59-58, the teams traded missed shots.

Siebert was fouled with 48 seconds left and hit one free throw for a 60-58 edge. Brian Madson then missed a 3-pointer, and the Vikings grabbed the rebound. Siebert was fouled with 26 seconds left and made one free throw to put Lawrence up 61-58.

Nikitas then turned in a key defensive play when he stole Beck’s pass and was fouled with 16.6 seconds left. Nikitas made both free throws to give Lawrence a 63-58 advantage.

Beck countered with a 3-pointer to cut the margin to 63-61, but the Vikings inbounded the ball to Siebert, who ran out the final seconds for the win.

Lawrence wraps up the regular season on Saturday when it hosts Grinnell College.

Box score