Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Box Score
DECATUR, Ill. (Jan. 15, 2020) - Rising to meet a stiff challenge from its hosts with a strong stretch run, the North Central College men's basketball team extended a pair of winning streaks Wednesday with a 76-66 victory over Millikin University at the Griswold Center.
The Cardinals (13-3, 6-1 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) extended their current winning streak to six games and have now won their last 11 contests in Decatur dating back to 2010.
North Central took charge from the outset Wednesday, as a three-pointer by Aiden Chang and inside baskets from Matt Helwig and Matt Cappelletti staked the visitors to an early 7-0 lead. The Cardinals stayed in front until late in the first half, when a three-pointer by Jarius Ingram and a third-chance putback by Calvin Fisher put the Big Blue in front, 33-30. Millikin took a 38-34 advantage into halftime as Fisher connected from three-point range just before the buzzer.
The Cardinals put together an even stronger start to the second half, scoring the first 12 points after play resumed as Millikin (4-12, 1-6 CCIW) was turned away on its first seven possessions. Helwig scored the final six points of the surge, as well as a three-pointer right after the Big Blue's Jake Hampton broke up the run with a triple of his own, to leave the visitors with a 49-41 edge with 14:52 to play.
Millikin's final bid for the victory, a 13-2 run, put the Big Blue in front, 64-60, with 5:44 remaining after Ingram's bucket in the lane. The Cardinals, however, countered with a 13-0 scoring run (with six points coming from Cappelletti) to go up by a 73-64 count and put the contest out of reach with under a minute to go.
Cappelletti and Helwig shared game-high scoring honors with 16 points each, while Michael Pollack finished with 12 on 4 of 7 shooting from three-point range. Blaise Meredith led the way with six rebounds and six assists while Connor Raridon totaled three steals and two blocked shots.
Hampton led the Big Blue with 15 points and five assists. Zach Fisher put up 12 points.
The Cardinals are idle until they host Augustana College (10-5, 4-2) Wednesday, Jan. 22. Tipoff at Gregory Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Click HERE for live coverage options.
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