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

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Mar. 2-3: NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship First/Second Rounds at Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota (Sexton Arena).

Video/Live Stats: portal.stretchinternet.com/csbsju/
Radio: 89.1-FM WONC

Setting the Scene: The Cardinals are in the field of 64 for the third straight year, looking to put its tournament experience to use and start an extended postseason run.

Tournament Schedule:
Friday
North Central College (19-8) vs. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (19-8), 5:30 p.m.
Bethany Lutheran College (19-8) vs. Saint John's University (23-3), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
First-round winners, 7:00 p.m.

National Rankings: Saint John's is ranked No. 7 and UW-Stevens Point is No. 17 in the most recent D3hoops.com National Top 25 Poll. 

The Cardinals in the NCAA Tournament: North Central is in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time. The Cardinals have a 9-10 all-time record in the tournament and have made the field in five of the past six seasons. North Central defeated Wooster, 77-72, in the first round of last year's tournament before  a 64-63 second-round loss to Hanover.

The Cardinals also made tournament appearances in 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 2006, 2012, 2013 and 2016. North Central advanced past the first round for the first time in 2012, making the round of 16, and advanced to the national semifinals for the first time in 2013. North Central head coach Todd Raridon has been to the Division III Final Four twice as a head coach, guiding Nebraska Wesleyan to the national championship game in 1997.

North Central vs. the Tournament Field: The Cardinals played UW-Stevens Point annually the four seasons prior to this one, with each team winning twice. The Pointers won last year's meeting at home, 65-63. North Central's only previous meeting with Saint John's was a 64-62 win by the Johnnies in the opening game of the 1989-90 season. The Cardinals have never played Bethany Lutheran.

Single-Season Team Records: North Central has made 239 three-point field goals this season, breaking the single-season school record of 210, which was set last season. With 511 assists, the Cardinals have also broken the single-season school record of 493 set by the 2005-2006 team.

Career/Single-Season Rankings: Alex Sorenson blocked 54 shots last season, second in North Central's history only to the 59 blocks he recorded the previous year. He has blocked 145 shots in his career,  breaking the previous North Central record of 74 held by Anthony Simmons '07. Sorenson also ranks sixth in North Central's history in career points per game (17.3) and rebounds per game (8.6). 

Connor Raridon became the Cardinals' all-time leader for assists on Jan. 27 against Elmhurst, and has extended his record totals to 183 this season and 333 in his career. He set the Cardinals' single-game record of 13 assists in a win at Aurora Dec. 12.

Mike Pollack's 75 made three-pointers this season ranks second in the Cardinals' history. Jayme Moten set the North Central record with 82 three-pointers in 2014-15.

Sorenson became the Cardinals' 25th 1,000-point scorer on Dec. 6 at Augustana and currently ranks seventh all-time in scoring (1,434). Erwin Henry eclipsed the 1,000-point mark Jan. 6 at Carroll and currently ranks 22nd all-time (1,082).