RIVER FOREST, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – Graduate Ryan Broeckel (Chilton, Wis.) led five players in double figures with a game-high 24 points as No. 8 Wisconsin Lutheran College collected its seventh straight win with a 92-78 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference triumph over Concordia Chicago on Saturday at Geiseman Gymnasium.
The Warriors (14-1, 7-1 NACC), who had five players score in double figures for the third time this season, tied a season-high with 13 three-point makes.
Following four lead changes in the early stages of the game, WLC went on a 10-0 scoring run to take a 15-6 lead at the 14:40 mark. Broeckel netted 13 of Wisconsin Lutheran's first 18 points, as it built a 12-point advantage seven minutes in. The Warriors held a 10-point lead with six-and-a-half minutes remaining, but the Cougars cut that in half with five straight points. WLC answered with a 12-2 scoring run to push its lead to 15 after a layup from graduate Grayson Goetz (Aurora, Ill.). A last-second three from CUC saw the score read 45-33 in favor of Wisconsin Lutheran at halftime.
Five consecutive points from Concordia Chicago to open the half cut its deficit to seven points. The Warriors then doubled their margin to 59-45 nearly six minutes later following a layup from Goetz. Another 11-3 run by the Cougars brought them within six points with nine minutes to play. After some back-and-forth scoring, CUC trailed by just five points at 71-66 with 5:39 remaining. Two three-pointers from graduate Jacob Hefle (Germantown, Wis.) helped spark WLC on a 14-4 run, and a layup from graduate Jacob Stoltz (Kewaskum, Wis.) extended the lead to a game-high 17 points with 1:45 left.
Broeckel, who tallied 19 points in the first half, finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the year. He also blocked four shots. Goetz finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Stoltz registered 13 points, five assists, and four steals. Hefle added 12 points on four three-pointers. Senior AJ Vos (Lombard, Ill.) posted his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Wisconsin Lutheran shot 48.5 percent (32-for-66) from the field, 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from beyond the arc, and 71.4 percent (15-for-21) from the free throw line.
Joel Watts scored 18 points and Jacob Collicott recorded a 17-point, 16-rebound double-double for Concordia Chicago (5-10, 3-7 NACC). The Cougars shot 42.1 percent (32-for-76) from the floor.
The Warriors travel to Fond du Lac on Wednesday for a 7:45 p.m. NACC matchup with Marian (13-3, 6-3 NACC). Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.