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

DECATUR, Ill. (Jan. 17, 2024) - Emerging victorious with a strong stretch run, the North Central College men's basketball team improved to 4-4 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play Wednesday with a 62-60 victory over Millikin University at the Griswold Center.

Despite trailing for most of the second half, the Cardinals (6-11 overall) rallied to outscore the hosts, 8-2, over the final 1:31 and successfully defend the game's final possession to preserve the win.

North Central owned a 14-7 advantage after eight minutes of play following a three-pointer by Drew Gaston before the Big Blue (6-11, 2-6 CCIW) embarked on a 9-2 run to tie the score at 16-16 on a triple by Chase Travis. The Cardinals pulled back in front, 24-22, but were held scoreless for the final 2:38 of the first half as the hosts fashioned a 26-24 advantage at the break.

Tyler Swierczek sparked a rally that put the Cardinals back in front early in the second period, scoring five straight points and coming up with a steal that led to a layup by Terrance Moncrief to give the visitors a 31-28 edge with 16:59 to play. Millikin's JT Welch tied the score with a three-pointer and Swierczek answered with a driving layup before the Big Blue tallied eight straight points to pull in front, 39-33.

The Millikin lead grew as large as seven points before the Cardinals closed the gap to 55-54 with 2:04 to play. Demarcus Bond grabbed an offensive rebound and completed a three-point play to give the hosts a 58-54 lead, but Ethan Helwig knocked down a three-pointer despite being fouled to shave the deficit to a single point with 1:25 left. 

Helwig's subsequent free throw was off the mark, but Swierczek grabbed the rebound to give the Cardinals another possession. Gaston drew another foul and made both charity shots to give North Central a brief 60-59 lead before Bond drove the lane for a layup with 44 seconds to play.

Following a Big Blue timeout, Gaston put the visitors back in front once again, connecting on an 18-foot jumper contested by Bond with 27 seconds left. Moncrief rebounded a missed layup by Welch and was immediately fouled, making one of two free throws. The Big Blue came up empty on three attempts at a game-tying field goal before the ball trickled out of bounds, giving the hosts one final attempt. 

The game's last possession resulted in a turnover, as Bond stepped on the baseline after receiving a pass from Welch with under a second remaining. preserving the Cardinals' sixth win over Millikin in their last seven meetings.

Swierczek led all scorers with a season-high 18 points on 6 of 10 shooting, reaching double figures for the first time in conference play. Sean Molloy put up 13 points in 22 minutes off the bench, while Gaston finished with 12. Helwig led the Cardinals with seven rebounds and seven assists. 

North Central hosts Wheaton College (4-13, 3-5) Saturday at Gregory Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 4:15 p.m. The Cardinals posted a 64-54 victory on the Thunder's home floor Dec. 2. Click HERE for the full 2023-2024 schedule and live coverage options.

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