FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Ryan Kroeger tied his career high with 31 points, and the Lawrence University men's basketball team downed Nova Southeastern University 73-60 on Monday night.
The NCAA Division II Sharks had won five straight before Lawrence rallied for the victory with a big second half.
Kroeger hit 8 of 9 shots from the floor, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range, and made 9 of 12 from the free-throw line. Kroeger's other 31-point game came on Jan. 21, 2006, vs. Grinnell.
John Dekker hit a trio of 3-pointers and added 11 points for the Vikings (5-1). Ben Rosenblatt chipped in with 10 points for Lawrence. Cecil Avant led Nova Southeastern (5-3) with 14 points, and Ross Allsop added 13.
The Vikings used a huge second half to overcome a deficit that was as large as 12 points in the first half. The Sharks led 28-16 with 5:59 left in the opening half, but Lawrence went on a 10-4 run to close the half, capped by Kroeger's layup with five seconds left, to trim the margin to 32-26 at the break.
Lawrence then opened the second half with 21-7 run, capped by Dekker's 3-pointer with 7:35 remaining, to take a 47-39 lead. Kroeger scored eight points during that stretch.
The Sharks cut the lead to two points at 50-48 with 4:58 left, but the Vikings responded with the run that would seal the victory.
Lawrence went on a 10-2 run, as Kroeger and Rosenblatt both hit 3-pointers during that stretch. Kroeger also buried four straight free throws, the last two giving Lawrence a 60-50 lead with 2:35 left.
Nova Southeastern got no closer than eight points the rest of the way, as Lawrence hit 10 of 12 free throws in the final 1:24.
Lawrence returns to action on Tuesday when it plays Johnson and Wales in Miami, Fla.