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

Box Score

Feb. 14, 2011 - Once again venturing into overtime against Illinois Wesleyan University, the North Central College men's basketball team came up winners on Monday at Gregory Arena, as Landon Gamble scored seven points in the extra session and the Cardinals took down the Titans, 64-58.

North Central (13-10, 9-3 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin), which avenged a 72-67 overtime loss to the Titans on Jan. 5, solidified its hold on the No. 2 spot in the conference standings with two games to play, while IWU (16-7, 7-5 CCIW) dropped into a third-place tie with Wheaton College and Carthage College.

For the second straight game, the Cardinals fell behind early in the first half, as IWU put together a 12-2 run and owned a 23-12 advantage with 10:03 on the clock. North Central, however, responded by clamping down on defense and holding the Titans scoreless for the next eight minutes, taking the lead at 24-23 after a three-pointer by Kevin Gillespie with 2:10 to play.

IWU's Doug Sexauer converted a layup at the other end, but Derek Raridon got free for a jumper on the next trip down the floor, then scored again with 16 seconds left to send the hosts into halftime ahead, 28-25.

The score was tied three times in the second half before the Cardinals fell behind, 48-44, with 4:52 to go. North Central scored six points over the next three minutes, all of which came at the free-throw line, to pull ahead, 50-48. The Titans' Ryan Connolly tied the game with a bucket in the paint with 1:25 left, and Sexauer scored on a layin with 39 seconds left to give the visitors the lead, but Brian Evans drove the lane for a game-tying basket with 10 seconds on the clock to force the extra session.

The Cardinals held IWU scoreless for the first two minutes of the overtime period, as Gamble scored five unanswered points to put the home team in the driver's seat. The Titans rallied and tied the game on two free throws by Eliud Gonzalez with 1:45 left, but Gamble scored again just before the shot clock expired to put North Central in front once again.

The Cardinals' Aaron Tiknis stepped in front of IWU's Sean Johnson and took a charge to force a turnover on the next possession, and North Central made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 21 seconds to hold onto the lead for good.

Gamble finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, while Raridon finished with 13 points and Evans scored 12.

Sexauer totaled 19 points and seven rebounds for the Titans. Gonzalez scored 11 points.

The Cardinals travel to Elmhurst College on Wednesday. Tipoff at R.A. Faganel Hall is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.