NEW GLARUS - For New Glarus junior Gabe Noyce, the scorebook didn't begin to tell the storybook ending he helped author as the Glarner Knights stunned Marshall 55-54 on Friday night.
The scorebook shows Noyce scored just two points. However, Knights fans are well aware of the impact he made in the fourth quarter.
With the Knights trailing 54-53 and 9.6 seconds left, New Glarus senior Tyler Kreklow pushed the ball up the floor and slipped a pinpoint pass to Noyce, who scored the game-winner down low with 3.6 seconds left.
The Cardinals missed a halfcourt shot the buzzer and Knights fans stormed the court as New Glarus forced a three-way tie atop the Capitol South Conference.
"I just wanted to try to find an open spot in the lane so Tyler could pass it to me," Noyce said. "I wanted to give my team a chance. It's a good confidence booster. It proves that we are a great team if we work hard and play hard."
New Glarus sophomore Trae VandeBerg scored a team-high 24 points and Kreklow added 19. However, it was Noyce's defense on Marshall sophomore Cam Ward late in the game was critical.
Noyce drew a charge on Ward with 1:12 left. Ward, who was the conference co-player of the year last season along with Kreklow, scored nine points, but was just 1-for-9 shooting as the Knights bottled him up by using Noyce, Evan Hauge and Spencer Jones to guard him.
"He's a very talented player," Noyce said. "We just focused on keeping him out of the game. Our coach said if we keep him out of the game we have a great chance to win."
New Glarus coach Travis Sysko understands the importance of knocking off the Cardinals, who were unbeaten in conference play before Friday. Now New Glarus (8-7, 4-1 Capitol South) is locked in a three-way tie atop the conference with Marshall and Cambridge.
"This is just a great feeling right now," Sysko said. "We lost a heartbreaker to Cambridge the other night. We are playing our best ball right now."
Marshall senior Justin Leistikow scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Kreklow had the hot hand early, scoring 13 of his 15 first-half points in the first quarter to spark the Knights to a 17-10 lead. Kreklow drilled three 3-pointers in the first half and was making plays penetrating until the Cardinals went to a zone.
"It feels great to be back in first place and to be competing for a conference championship," Kreklow said.
In the second half, VandeBerg started heating up by hitting jumpers in the high post to foil the Cardinals' zone. New Glarus senior Riley Miller drilled a clutch 3-pointer with 5:42 left in the third quarter to give the Knights a 32-26 lead.
The Cardinals closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 41-40 lead into the fourth quarter. The spurt was highlighted by two three-point plays by Leistikow and a layup by Ward.
VandeBerg scored 16 points in the second half.
"It's a tough one-two punch," Sysko said of Kreklow and VandeBerg. "You kind of have to pick your poison of who you are going to stop."
VandeBerg is confident the Knights, who overcame 4 of 8 free throw shooting in the fourth quarter, can use the game as a springboard.
"We just had to keep going and keep our intensity up," he said. "I think we can win the conference if we keep playing good defense."
The scorebook shows Noyce scored just two points. However, Knights fans are well aware of the impact he made in the fourth quarter.
With the Knights trailing 54-53 and 9.6 seconds left, New Glarus senior Tyler Kreklow pushed the ball up the floor and slipped a pinpoint pass to Noyce, who scored the game-winner down low with 3.6 seconds left.
The Cardinals missed a halfcourt shot the buzzer and Knights fans stormed the court as New Glarus forced a three-way tie atop the Capitol South Conference.
"I just wanted to try to find an open spot in the lane so Tyler could pass it to me," Noyce said. "I wanted to give my team a chance. It's a good confidence booster. It proves that we are a great team if we work hard and play hard."
New Glarus sophomore Trae VandeBerg scored a team-high 24 points and Kreklow added 19. However, it was Noyce's defense on Marshall sophomore Cam Ward late in the game was critical.
Noyce drew a charge on Ward with 1:12 left. Ward, who was the conference co-player of the year last season along with Kreklow, scored nine points, but was just 1-for-9 shooting as the Knights bottled him up by using Noyce, Evan Hauge and Spencer Jones to guard him.
"He's a very talented player," Noyce said. "We just focused on keeping him out of the game. Our coach said if we keep him out of the game we have a great chance to win."
New Glarus coach Travis Sysko understands the importance of knocking off the Cardinals, who were unbeaten in conference play before Friday. Now New Glarus (8-7, 4-1 Capitol South) is locked in a three-way tie atop the conference with Marshall and Cambridge.
"This is just a great feeling right now," Sysko said. "We lost a heartbreaker to Cambridge the other night. We are playing our best ball right now."
Marshall senior Justin Leistikow scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Kreklow had the hot hand early, scoring 13 of his 15 first-half points in the first quarter to spark the Knights to a 17-10 lead. Kreklow drilled three 3-pointers in the first half and was making plays penetrating until the Cardinals went to a zone.
"It feels great to be back in first place and to be competing for a conference championship," Kreklow said.
In the second half, VandeBerg started heating up by hitting jumpers in the high post to foil the Cardinals' zone. New Glarus senior Riley Miller drilled a clutch 3-pointer with 5:42 left in the third quarter to give the Knights a 32-26 lead.
The Cardinals closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 41-40 lead into the fourth quarter. The spurt was highlighted by two three-point plays by Leistikow and a layup by Ward.
VandeBerg scored 16 points in the second half.
"It's a tough one-two punch," Sysko said of Kreklow and VandeBerg. "You kind of have to pick your poison of who you are going to stop."
VandeBerg is confident the Knights, who overcame 4 of 8 free throw shooting in the fourth quarter, can use the game as a springboard.
"We just had to keep going and keep our intensity up," he said. "I think we can win the conference if we keep playing good defense."
