Men’s Basketball

Category: Men’s Basketball

Lawrence rolls past Monmouth to remain unbeaten in MWC

The Lawrence University men’s basketball team pulled away early and ran to a 73-40 victory over Monmouth College on Wednesday to remain unbeaten in the Midwest Conference.

The Vikings (5-4, 4-0 MWC) got 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds from Erik Borresen, who posted his fifth double-double of the season. Jon Mays paced the Vikings and all scorers with 21 points.

Cory Bishop led Monmouth (2-8, 0-5) with 11 points and six rebounds.

The game was tied 7-7 when the Vikings scored the next 10 points, capped by Chris Siebert’s 3-pointer with 12:29 left in the first half. Siebert finished with 10 points and a game-high six assists.

Monmouth trimmed the margin to six points at 22-16, but Lawrence closed the first half on a 15-0 run. Borresen scored five points during that outburst and Siebert added four.

After Bishop scored the first two points of the second half, Lawrence quickly pulled away. Borresen had a three-point play, Mays scored four points and Tyler Crisman nailed a 3-pointer in a 10-0 Lawrence run to give the Vikings a 47-20 lead with 17:05 left.

Monmouth would get no closer than 23 points the rest of the way, and the Vikings would lead by as many as 33 points.

Lawrence returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Beloit College.

Box score

Vikings host Monmouth, Beloit this week

The Lawrence University men’s basketball team gets back to Midwest Conference play with a pair of games this week.

The Vikings host Monmouth College at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and Beloit College comes to Alexander Gymnasium at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Lawrence is looking to snap a two-game losing streak, but the Vikings remain unbeaten in Midwest Conference play at 3-0.

Preview

Borresen picks up MWC Player of the Week honor

Erik Borresen

Lawrence University men’s basketball standout Erik Borresen has been named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week.

Borresen (West Bend, Wis./Living Word Lutheran) picked up the honor after a pair of big games during Lawrence’s trip to Florida before Christmas. In the two games at the Cruzin’ Classic, Borresen averaged 21 points, seven rebounds, 2.5 assists, three blocks and 1.5 steals. Borresen hit on 19 of 28 shots from the floor for a 67.9 percent clip.

In Lawrence’s 89-80 loss to No. 14 St. Mary’s (Md.) College, Borresen scored a career-high 30 points and hit on 13 of 19 shots from the floor, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range. He added five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.

In a 61-59 loss to Manchester College, Borresen scored 12 points, on 6 of 9 shooting from the floor. He added nine rebounds, two assists, three blocks and one steal.

On the season, Borresen is averaging 15 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the floor.

Lawrence returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Monmouth College in a Midwest Conference game.

Vikings edged by Manchester

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Manchester College men’s basketball team overcame a four-point deficit in the final 37 seconds to down Lawrence University 61-59 in a nonconference game Sunday.

The game was part of the Cruzin Classic and was played at Northwood University.

Tyler Crisman scored a game-high 19 points to pace Lawrence (4-4). Erik Borresen added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Vikings. Chris Siebert added 10 points for the Vikings.

Tyler Henn led Manchester (6-3) with 17 points.

Crisman hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final 1:22 of the first half to give Lawrence its biggest lead of the game, 38-27, at the break.

The Spartans went on a 9-0 run to open the second half and cut the margin to 38-36 with 17:17 remaining. The teams then traded the lead midway through the second half.

Lawrence led 57-52 after Conor Klusendorf’s layup with 4:54 left. Neither team scored until Mitch Schaefer hit a 3-pointer with 2:43 left to cut the margin to 57-55.

The teams traded missed shots until Klusendorf was fouled with 48 seconds left. He made both free throws to give Lawrence a 59-55 lead.

Jordan Moss converted 1 of 2 free throws on the next possession for the Spartans with 37 seconds remaining. A turnover off a Henn steal gave the ball back to Manchester, and Nathan Ferch’s layup with 23 seconds left cut the lead to 59-58.

Henn stole the ball again, and he hit a layup with 11 seconds left to give Manchester a 60-59 lead. Crisman missed a 3-pointer for Lawrence with three seconds left and Ferch grabbed the rebound and seal the win.

Lawrence takes a break for the holidays and doesn’t return to action until it hosts Monmouth College in a Midwest Conference game on Jan. 5.

Box score

No. 14 St. Mary’s holds off Lawrence

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Erik Borresen poured in a career-high 30 points, but the Lawrence University men’s basketball team came up just short in an 89-80 loss to No. 14 St. Mary’s (Md.) College on Saturday.

The game was part of the Cruzin Classic and was played at Nova Southeastern University.

Borresen hit 13 of 19 shots from the floor, and the 6-foot-8 center was 3 of 3 from 3-point range. He also grabbed five rebounds and had six assists.

Chris Siebert added a double-double for the Vikings with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Crisman added 14 points for Lawrence (4-3) and Jon Mays tacked on 12.

Sam Burum led St. Mary’s (9-2) with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Alex Franz added 24 points for the Seahawks.

St. Mary’s pulled away in the final minutes of the first half by going on a 9-0 run to grab a 47-30 edge. Siebert hit a jumper to trim the margin to 47-32 at the break.

The Seahawks led 55-40 after James Davenport’s 3-pointer with 15:30 remaining in the contest. Siebert scored on a conventional three-point play to spark a 17-4 Lawrence run over the next four minutes.

The Vikings hit seven consecutive shots from the floor as Crisman and Conor Klusendorf scored five points apiece during the outburst. Borrensen’s jumper with 11:37 left capped the run and cut St. Mary’s lead to 59-57.

The Seahawks recovered and built the lead back to as many as nine points. Lawrence closed to five points at 79-74 with 2:46 left, but Sam Burum hit back-to-back shots, sandwich around a Siebert jumper, to give the Seahawks an 85-77 lead with 45 seconds left.

The Seahawks then hit four consecutive free throws in the final 17 seconds to seal the victory.

Lawrence is back in action on Sunday when it faces Manchester College.

Box score

Vikings snuff out Prairie Fire

GALESBURG, Ill. — The Lawrence University men’s basketball team held off a late rally by Knox College on Wednesday night and posted a 74-69 Midwest Conference victory.

All five starters scored in double figures for Lawrence (4-2, 3-0 MWC), which remained unbeaten in league play.

Conor Klusendorf and Erik Borresen both posted double-doubles for the Vikings. Klusendorf had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Borresen scored 13 points and grabbed 11 boards.

Jon Mays led Lawrence with 19 points, and Tyler Crisman added 17 points. Chris Siebert chipped in with 10 points and a team-high seven assists.

Joe Kozak led Knox (1-7, 0-5) and all scorers with 27 points, and he pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

Lawrence opened the game up early in the second half. The Vikings went on a 16-6 run, capped by Klusendorf’s jumper, to grab a 53-42 lead with 13:48 remaining.

The Vikings built the lead to 13 points before Knox rallied. Knox scored 12 consecutive points to trim Lawrence’s lead to 61-60 with 4:25 left.

Borresen then hit a jumper for the Vikings, and Klusendorf followed with a 3-pointer. Siebert then hit a jumper and Lawrence pushed the lead back to 68-60.

After Kozak hit a 3-pointer, Knox was forced to foul. Lawrence hit 6 of 8 free throws in the final 47 seconds to seal the victory.

Box score

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.

Box score

Siebert’s 3-pointer pushes Vikings past Lake Forest

Chris Siebert drained a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to lift the Lawrence University men’s basketball team to a 62-60 Midwest Conference victory over Lake Forest College on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium.

Jon Mays paced Lawrence (2-2, 2-0 MWC) with 22 points, and Erik Borresen had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Travis Clark led Lake Forest (3-2, 2-1) with 21 points, and Jeff Beck added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Lawrence led by as many as eight points early in the second half, but the Vikings’ lead hovered between two and five points for much of the second half.

The Vikings led 57-52 on Borresen’s layup with 3:05 left, but Chris Roets answered with a 3-pointer for the Foresters. Tyler Crisman countered with a layup with 2:29 left to push Lawrence’s lead back to 59-55, but David Pilalis hit a pair of free throws with 2:00 left to cut the lead back to 59-57.

The teams traded missed shots, and Lake Forest had the ball inside the final minute with a chance to tie or take the lead. Brian Gryszkiewicz then blocked Roets’ 3-pointer, and the Lawrence freshman guard came out of a scramble with the ball with 48 seconds left.

Lawrence looked to possibly seal the win with a basket, but Siebert got trapped by a pair of Foresters. Clark stole the ball with 22 seconds left to give Lake Forest new life.

Following a Foresters timeout, Beck drove to the basket, scored and was fouled. He converted the free throw with 13 seconds left to give Lake Forest a 60-59 lead.

Lawrence took its final timeout and Siebert got the ball just to the left of the top of the key and buried what proved to be the game-winning 3-pointer with a defender in his face. Beck missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Foresters.

The Vikings are off to a 2-0 start in league play for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Box score

Red-hot starting five leads Vikings past Illinois College

The starting five on the Lawrence University men’s basketball team was on fire Friday night.

The Vikings’ starters shot 63.2 percent (36-57) from the floor as Lawrence posted a 100-79 Midwest Conference victory over Illinois College at Alexander Gymnasium.

Jon Mays led the assault for Lawrence (1-2, 1-0 MWC) with a career-high 26 points. Mays was 11 of 18 from the floor. Tyler Crisman added 22 points on 7 of 14 shooting from the field, and Chris Siebert added 21 points and was 8 of 11 from the floor.

Conor Klusendorf was 6 of 7 from the floor on his way to 12 points, and Erik Borresen was 4 of 7 from the field and finished with 10 points. Klusendorf also picked up a career-high five blocked shots.

Nathan Kohler led Illinois College (2-1, 0-1) with 15 points.

Lawrence, which shot 59.7 percent from the floor for the game, broke the game open midway through the first half. The Vikings led 15-9 and then went on a 23-5 run to grab a 38-14 advantage with 8:41 left in the opening half.

Illinois College battled back and trimmed the margin to 42-32 with 3:45 left before the break. The Vikings then finished the half on a 10-5 run, punctuated by Andrew Kline’s jumper with 47 seconds left, to take a 52-37 lead at the half.

Lawrence’s lead was as little as 10 points at 65-55 with 12:04 remaining, but the Vikings never let the lead shrink to single figures. Lawrence built the advantage back to 16 points with 5:56 left and never led by less than 13 points the rest of the way.

Box score

Vikings set for three games in four days

The Lawrence University men’s basketball team enters a stretch of three games in four days.

The Vikings start Midwest Conference play Friday when they host Illinois College. Lawrence then faces Lake Forest College on Saturday afternoon in another Midwest Conference contest.

Lawrence goes back to nonconference play on Monday when it travels to Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Preview