Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
KENOSHA, Wis. (Jan. 18, 2023) - Moving in front midway through the first half and closing the contest out with precision at the free-throw line, the North Central College men's basketball team picked up a key College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) road victory Wednesday at Carthage College, 77-67.
The victory is the sixth in seven games for the Cardinals (10-6, 5-3 CCIW), who trailed, 10-4, after the first four minutes of play. North Central took its first lead at 21-19 following a layup by Nick Smoldt with 9:02 on the clock.
Holding a slim 25-24 advantage late in the first half, the Cardinals scored seven straight points as Shea Cupples sank two free throws and Mitch Lewis sank a jump shot before Lewis fed Cupples for a three-pointer which extended North Central's lead to 32-24 with 3:29 left in the period. A three-pointer by Smoldt capped the first-half scoring and sent the visitors into the break ahead, 35-27.
Carthage (12-4, 5-3) shaved its deficit to 37-33 soon after the second half began, but Matt Helwig scored five points in a 41-second span to rebuild the Cardinals' lead. North Central led by as many as 14 points before the Firebirds closed the gap to 62-57 with 7:10 left.
A layup by Helwig and two free throws by Cupples stopped the Carthage comeback attempt. North Central sealed the win by making 21 of 24 free throws in the second half, including its final 11 attempts.
Helwig put up a game-high 21 points, while Lewis scored 20. The pair shared the team lead in rebounds (7) and Helwig also collected a team-best three steals. Cupples scored 13 points and Ethan Helwig scored 11. Antuan Nesbitt was the leading scorer for Carthage with 19.
The Cardinals travel to Chicago Saturday to face the North Park University Vikings (13-4, 6-2). Tipoff at North Park Gymnasium is set for 4:15 p.m.
Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.
