Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Feb. 3, 2016 - Some ill-timed cold perimeter shooting and a gritty effort from a determined opponent contributed to the end of a five-game winning streak for the North Central College men's basketball team on Wednesday, as the 13th-ranked Cardinals lost by a 76-68 count to the No. 2-ranked Augustana College Vikings at Gregory Arena.
North Central (15-6, 8-2 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) endured a 5 for 28 effort shooting from three-point range but was still able to keep itself in contention until the end, trailing by just two points with under two minutes to play. The Cardinals, however, came up empty on their final four possessions as the Vikings (20-1, 9-1 CCIW) took sole possession of first place in the CCIW standings.
The hosts led by as many as six points in the first half before Augustana tied the score on two occasions. The Vikings went on a 11-2 run to pull in front, with 1:07 on the first-half clock, but North Central closed the half with three-pointers from Erwin Henry and Jayme Moten to trail by just a 37-34 count at halftime.
Augustana extended its lead to as many as 12 points midway through the second period, but the Cardinals went to work whittling away at the deficit and cut the lead to 62-61 after Kevin Honn capped a 12-4 rally with a three-pointer and a layup off a pass from Connor Raridon. Viking guard Hunter Hill responded with three-pointers on the visitors' next two possessions, though they were countered by a jumper from Honn and a triple from Moten to leave the score at 68-55 with 3:39 left.
Dylan Sortillo scored in the lane for the Vikings, and Jagger Anderson responded with a fast-break layup to cut the lead to two points once again, but a layup by Augustana's Ben Ryan came on the next trip down the floor and wound up keeping the guests clear for good. Ryan and Griffin Pils sealed the win for Augustana by making two free throws each in the final 15 seconds.
Anderson led the Cardinals with 19 points, while Honn put up 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench. Moten added 11 points and Henry finished with 10, while Raridon tied a season high with eight assists.
Alex Sorenson blocked three shots to push his season total to 48, establishing a new North Central single-season record. The previous record of 45 was set by Louis Davis during the 2000-2001 season.
Hill made 9 of 13 shots from the floor and led all scorers with 25 points, while Ryan finished with 21.
The Cardinals host Illinois Wesleyan University in their final home game of the regular season on Saturday. The Titans are 11-10 overall and 5-5 in the CCIW after a 61-59 loss to Millikin University. Tipoff at Gregory Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with Senior Night festivities to be observed prior to game time. Links to live audio and in-game statistics, as well as a live video broadcast from Naperville Community Television, can be accessed by clicking HERE.
