Contact: Heather Benning, Executive Director, benningh@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – One of two men’s basketball teams representing the Midwest Conference in the 2020 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament, St. Norbert College opened play tonight in Platteville, WI against the University of St. Thomas. Both teams earned their spots in the 64-team event through Pool C at-large bids after suffering losses in their respective league end-of-season tournament finals.
 
St. Norbert College went 23-4 on the season and collected its ninth consecutive Midwest Conference championship with a 17-1 record. This year marks the ninth time the Green Knights have advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament, the first since 2016.
 
In tonight’s opening round game, it was the Tommies (24-3) who dominated play in the first half, shooting a blazing 62.5% from the field, including 10 of 17 from beyond the arc, for a 43-25 lead at the break. The Green Knights were 12 of 27 from the field (44.4%), but only connected on one of 12 3-point shots.
 
St. Norbert scored 12 of the first 14 points of the second, closing the gap to eight (37-45) before the Tommies got their second basket nearly nine minutes into half. The Green Knights brought it to a 2-point game on a trey at the 7:30 mark, but St. Thomas responded with a three of their own and the point-spread held for the next several positions. St. Norbert eventually erased the 18-point halftime deficit taking the lead with 3:24 remaining but was unable to hold on for the win and concluded its season with a 60-67 loss to the Tommies.

The Green Knights were led in scoring by a trio of juniors. Jared Murphy came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Nolan Beirne and Wade Geenen finished the night with 13 and 12 points, respectively.