The Green Knights advanced to the national Division III Tournament after reeling off 16-straight victories.

Dancing in March: Women’s Basketball Undefeated in Conference

For the 15th time, and first in six years, the Green Knights earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. They defeated Wisconsin Lutheran College 48-42 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament championship game on Feb. 25, finishing the season with a perfect record against conference opponents.

Led by Coach Amanda Leonhard-Perry, the Green Knights shook off three early season losses, including one at a national tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla., going on a 16-game winning streak in their second season in the NACC. They defeated Edgewood College in the semifinal game. Both games were held on Connie Tilley Court in the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center on the SNC campus.

“It’s not an easy thing to do, this is a strong league that we play in. To not only go undefeated, but then to turn around in the tournament and play the same two teams that you just played and beat them for the third time. I don’t think our players know exactly what they just did, but that’s tough to do,” said Leonhard-Perry.

Guard Olivia DeCleene ’21 and guard/forward Kaycee Gierczak ’23 took starring roles on the team. DeCleene was second on the team with a 10.3 points per game average, had a team high in rebounds and assists, and she was named NACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Gierczak led the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game and was named first-team All-NACC.

The team had a watch party at the Mulva Center to discover who their opponent would be and where they would travel. DeCleene said, “The waiting game is nerve-wracking. I was getting butterflies almost like we were about to play a game. … It’s kind of surreal. At the beginning of the season, this is what we were hoping for, to make it to the NCAA Tournament.”

The Green Knights received a tough draw at the Division III Tournament: Hope College, the defending national champions. Hope’s Flying Dutch won the matchup 82-61, advancing to the next round and ending St. Norbert’s season.

March 7, 2023

Men’s Basketball Makes Noise in Postseason Tournaments

The men joined the women’s team in national postseason play. They faced Carleton College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament, winning the matchup 81-77. On March 4, they battled Wheaton College, ultimately falling short by four points, 75-71. This was the 10th appearance for the Green Knights. They finished the season on a 13-game winning streak and won both regular season and tournament titles in the NACC.

Guard Michael Payant ’23 was named first-team All-NACC and NACC Defensive Player of the Year. Forward Evan Glaser ’24 was named to the second-team All-NACC.