Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Box Score
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Feb. 12, 2020) - Prolific perimeter shooting and a furious mid-game scoring run brought the North Central College men's basketball team to the cusp of a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) championship Wednesday evening, as the Cardinals coasted to a 70-55 victory over the homestanding Augustana College Vikings at the Carver Center.
In similar fashion as its victory over Elmhurst College on Saturday, No. 14-ranked North Central (18-4, 11-2 CCIW) took the drama out of the proceedings relatively early, subjecting the No. 25-ranked Vikings to a 21-0 surge that spanned a seven-minute stretch from late in the first half to early in the second. The Cardinals' margin of victory is their largest in a game at Augustana since an 81-62 win on Jan. 13, 1990.
North Central never trailed in the game, as Blaise Meredith scored seven points in an 11-5 run to open play. A Will Clausel three-pointer from the top of the key gave the visitors their first double-digit advantage at 17-7 and the Cardinals kept the pressure on through the end of the opening period, closing with 11 straight points to take a 46-25 lead into halftime.
North Central operated with near-surgical precision from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes, sinking 9 of 13 shots (69.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Matt Cappelletti led all scorers with 11 first-half points while Meredith scored 11.
The Cardinals called a swift end to any comeback plans soon after play resumed, as a pair of three-pointers by Cappelletti and two inside baskets by Connor Raridon accounted for the first 10 points of the second half and gave North Central its largest lead at 56-25.
Cappelletti led all scorers with 22 points to push his career total to 1,175, moving him into a tie with Tony Jordan '86 for 18th on the program's all-time scoring list. Meredith finished with 12 points, while Matt Helwig put up 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Pierson Wofford was the leading scorer for Augustana (16-7, 10-4) with 12 points and Jack Jelen added 10.
The Cardinals can clinch at least a share of their seventh CCIW regular-season title (and first since 2012) with a victory at Carroll University (11-11, 4-9) on Saturday. Tipoff at Van Male Fieldhouse is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Click HERE for live coverage options.
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