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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Box Score

Jan. 6, 2010 - Despite career-high scoring efforts from three players, the North Central College men's basketball team was denied in its bid to win its College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game of the season, as the Cardinals dropped an 84-79 decision to the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans at Gregory Arena.

34 points from Derek Raridon, 24 from David Twyman and 16 from Brian Evans kept the Cardinals (7-5, 0-1 CCIW) in the game, but the 25th-ranked Titans were able to knock down better than 60 percent of their field-goal attempts to make off with the victory.

North Central raced to a 9-2 lead at the start of the contest, getting six points from Twyman, but the Titans (10-2, 1-0) scored the next 13 points to pull in front, 15-9. IWU eventually stretched the lead to 29-16 before a pair of free throws from Raridon and a dunk on the fast break by Twyman got the Cardinals back to within single digits. The Titans carried a 39-31 advantage into halftime.

The Cardinals whittled the lead down to just two points (48-46) following a three-point play by Raridon with 15:11 remaining, but IWU responded with a 10-3 surge that restored its advantage to nine points at 58-49. The Titans pulled ahead by 11 a 64-53, but once again watched their lead dwindle to five points after Raridon tallied five straight to leave the score at 67-62 with 6:57 left.

The hosts would get no closer, however, as the Titans penetrated and scored their next three baskets in the paint, negating any further threats from North Central.

Raridon made 10 of 15 shots from the floor and 12 of 13 free throws en route to his game-high scoring effot, while Twyman made 10 of 14 shots. Evans also finished the game as North Central's leader in rebounds (8) and steals (3), while Jon Knapczyk handed out five assists.

Doug Sexauer led Illinois Wesleyan with 23 points on 11 of 12 shooting. Sean Johnson scored 12 points, while Jordan Zimmer and Ryan Connolly each had 10. Sean Dwyer came off the bench to record a game-high nine assists.

The Cardinals travel to Wheaton College (8-4, 0-1) on Saturday for a 4:30 p.m. tipoff at King Arena. The 14th-ranked Thunder lost, 75-62, at Carthage College on Wednesday.