FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-53022015 CCIW Tournament
Semifinals - Friday5:00 p.m. - Elmhurst College (19-5) vs. Illinois Wesleyan University (18-7)
7:00 p.m. - North Central College (18-7) vs. Augustana College (21-4)Championship Game - Saturday7:00 p.m. - Semifinal winners
Video: portal.stretchinternet.com/augustana/Live Stats: www.augustana.edu/athletics/mbasketball/xlive.htmGame Updates: www.twitter.com/NCC_AthleticsTournament Website: cciw.orgSetting the Scene: After facing a playoff atmosphere in their regular-season finale, the Cardinals open the postseason looking for a third CCIW Tournament title in four years.
Series History: Friday's game is the 148th meeting between the two teams and the fourth in CCIW Tournament play. The Vikings lead the all-time series, 95-52, though North Central has beaten Augustana twice in three CCIW Tournament encounters.
The two teams won on each other's home court for the second straight year this season, as Augustana posted a 75-64 victory in Naperville on Jan. 14 and North Central picked up a 72-70 overtime victory at the Carver Center on Feb. 4.
The Cardinals played Augustana in the CCIW Tournament for the first time in the 2007 semifinals as the Vikings won, 74-67. North Central returned the favor with a 63-56 semifinal win in 2012, then defeated Augustana in the 2013 championship game, 70-63.
CCIW Tournament History: North Central is 6-3 all-time in CCIW Tournament play. The Cardinals are 3-0 in championship games, winning the tournament in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Augustana is 9-6 all-time in the tournament and is the only team to make the field each of the nine years since the event's inception. The Vikings are also three-time champions (2007, 2008, 2011), tying them with North Central for the most CCIW Tournament titles by one team.
This Week for the Cardinals: North Central shook off a tough overtime loss to Elmhurst by closing the regular season with an 82-72 victory in a must-win contest on Saturday at Gregory Arena.
After trailing by as many as eight points early in the second half, the Cardinals took control with a 13-1 run that spanned just over four minutes, eventually taking the lead by as many as 13 points down the stretch.
Jack Burchett put up 21 points and 14 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season, while
Kevin Honn netted 20 points on 7 of 9 shooting coming off the bench. North Central improved to 15-0 when outrebounding its opponent and 9-0 when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
Scouting the Vikings: Augustana's loss to North Central was its most recent, as the Vikings enter tonight's game on a four-game winning streak. Augustana closed the regular season by torching Wheaton, 89-55.
The Vikings led the CCIW in field-goal percentage (.496) and scoring defense (64.3 ppg) this season en route to their 14th conference title. Augustana is hosting the CCIW Tournament for the fourth time and the first since 2008.
The Vikings have had seven different leading scorers in their past 10 games and have 10 players averaging at least 11 minutes per contest.
Single-Season Record: Moten now has 74 made three-pointers this season, the most in a single season in North Central's history. The previous record of 69 had been accomplished three times, twice by Reid Barringer '10 (2007-08 and 2008-09) and once by Ray Vicario '06 (2005-06).
North Central Career Rankings: Burchett ranks third in the Cardinals' history in field-goal percentage (.568) and games played (108), eighth in rebounds (657) and ninth in free-throw attempts (356). He is also tied with Rosenberg for sixth in career blocked shots (59) and can reach another top 10 list with nine more assists.
Rosenberg's 37 blocked shots this season rank second all-time, while Burchett is currently eighth in single-season field-goal percentage (.583). He tied North Central's single-game record for blocked shots with six in a 63-56 win at UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 29.
