Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Box Score
GREENVILLE, Ill. (Nov. 13, 2021) - The first win of the season came in historic fashion for the North Central College men's basketball team Saturday, as the Cardinals broke through Greenville University's persistent full-court pressure and pummeled the Panthers, 137-108, at H.J. Long Gymnasium.
North Central (1-1) established a new single-game program record for scoring, eclipsing the previous record of 129 set against Marietta College Nov. 19, 2004. The Cardinals also set new single-game team records for field goals made (56) and assists (44) and narrowly missed their record for single-game field goal percentage as they made 56 of 79 shots (70.9 percent).
Leading six double-figure scorers for North Central was Matt Helwig, who made 18 of 23 shots in scoring a career-high 42 points to lead all scorers. Helwig's point total is the fourth-highest by any NCAA Division III player thus far in the young season.
Greenville led for most of the first 10 minutes of play, and the Cardinals put together a 15-4 run over a three-minute span to pull in front, 39-31, with 8:08 on the clock. James Ruzicka scored seven straight points in the rally, while Helwig added six. The visitors put the game out of reach with a 13-0 run early in the second half, getting eight points from Helwig and four from Blaise Meredith, and led by as many as 35 points late in the game.
The Cardinals, who made 28 of 37 shots from the floor (75.7 percent) in the second half, nearly saw Brian Johnson record the program's second triple-double as the junior finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. Ethan Helwig put up 21 points, while Meredith scored 20 and Kamron Kaba-Williams and Terrance Moncrief each scored 10.
North Central is idle until Tuesday, Nov. 23, when the Cardinals make the short trip east to take on Benedictine University. Tipoff at the Rice Center is set for 7:00 p.m.
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