Men’s b-ball streak snapped -dlh

Andy York

The St. Norbert men’s basketball team came into Alexander Gym last Tuesday night, and shot the lights out. Shooting over 60 percent from behind the three-point arc, the Green Knights snapped Lawrence men’s 18-game at-home winning streak with an 84-76 victory over the Vikings.
The Vikings were behind from the early on. The Green Knights came out on fire, hitting everything in sight, and stymieing a Vikings offense. The Green Knights ran up an 18-4 lead only six minutes into the game. To the Vikings’ credit, they came back with a vengeance.
The Vikings narrowed the Green Knights’ lead with some superb playing from freshman Ben Rosenblatt, and All-American Chris Braier. The Vikings came all the way back from the 14-point deficit, and took a 27-26 lead on a lay-up by Braier with 5:26 to go in the first half.
The Green Knights got hot once again and the Vikings cold; the Green Knights would pull away as the first half came to a close. After three-pointer with 2 seconds left from NBA range by Aaron Faulkner, the Green Knights held a 42-30 advantage at the break.
The second half started just like the first, ad Eric DeJardine hit the first shot, a three, to increase the Green Knight lead to its largest point, 15 points a 45-30 to start the second half. The Vikings immediately answered with a trey by Jason Holinbeck, and the comeback was on once again. For the second time in the game, the Vikings overcame a huge Green Knight lead and took the lead, this time on a free throw by Braier with 8:16 to go in the game.
The Vikings would increase their lead all the way to four points, before once again they grew cold and the Green Knights came back. St. Norbert retook the lead with 4:28 to go on an Aaron Washington lay-up, and Faulkner added another three on the next possession to put the game nearly out of reach for LU. The Vikings grew cold in the last 2 minutes, and couldn’t hit a shot to save their lives; the Green Knights would hold on to upset the 10th-ranked-nationally Vikings.
Travis Hansen, who had 21 points, led St. Norbert. Faulkner would add 19 for the Green Knights. They would shoot 64.7 percent from behind the three-point arc, and 60 percent overall in the game. The Vikings, in comparison, only shot 42.6 percent for the game.
LU was led by Braier, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. The Vikings have their next three games all at-home in Alexander Gym. The Vikings host Illinois College at 7:30 tonight, Knox at 4 tomorrow and Carroll at 7:30 Tuesday night.