Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
AURORA, Ill. (Nov. 12, 2024) - Seizing the upper hand in the game's first few minutes and leading throughout, the North Central College men's basketball team got its season started with a flourish Tuesday at Aurora University, defeating the Spartans, 78-71, in its first game of the campaign.
The Cardinals made 13 of their first 20 shots from the floor and shot 57.1 percent (16 of 28) in the first half, then connected on 18 of 24 free throws in the second period to stay in front. North Central limited the hosts to 36.7 percent shooting (22 of 60) from the floor and committed just six turnovers, a lower total than any of its 27 games last season.
The Cardinals scored the game's first eight points as Alejandro Diaz sank three-pointers on each of North Central's first two possessions. Terrance Moncrief scored on a putback to prompt an Aurora timeout with 17:51 on the clock before the Spartans got on the board.
Holding a 21-17 lead midway through the first half, North Central went on a 14-2 run in a three-minute span to pull in front by double digits at 35-19 with 6:37 to play in the period. Moncrief ignited the rally with an inside layup before Ethan Helwig pulled from three-point range on the left wing to become the 31st player in the program's history to score 1,000 career points.
Moncrief delivered two more jumpers before assisting Helwig on another triple. The Cardinals led by as many as 16 points before Aurora made two threes in the final 1:29 to cut the margin to 43-31 at the break. Helwig led all scorers with 12 points at halftime while Noah Butler was the Spartans' leader with 10.
The Spartans cut into their deficit early in the second half as North Central endured a six-minute stretch without a field goal. Aurora cut the lead to 51-48 with Dwayne Jervier's three-pointer with 11:02 to play, but the Cardinals' Tyler Swierczek responded on the next possession with a pullup three-pointer of his own. Successful trips to the free-throw line by Moncrief and Drew Gaston restored North Central's lead to 58-49 with 9:32 remaining.
North Central's lead returned to double digits at 64-53 following Sean Molloy's reverse layup, but the Spartans' Isaiah Davis sank a three-pointer on the next trip down the floor to make it an eight-point game with 5:09 on the clock. The Cardinals held Aurora scoreless for the next 2:22 while Gaston scored on a pullup jumper and made a pair of free throws.
The visitors led by double figures until the final seconds, when Aurora narrowed the gap to 76-71 with six seconds left. Following a timeout, the Cardinals set up to inbound the ball under its own basket. Gaston was fouled after receiving the ball from Molloy, making both free throws to put the game on ice.
The Cardinals shot 50 percent (24 of 48) from the floor and 77.4 percent (24 of 31) from the free-throw line. Moncrief led the Cardinals with 16 points, four steals and three assists, while Helwig put up 14 points and eight rebounds and Diaz and Gaston each finished with 12. Butler and Davis paced Aurora with 18 and 13 points, respectively.
North Central travels to the Pacific Northwest for two games this weekend, beginning with a 7 p.m. (Pacific time) tipoff with Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington on Friday. Click HERE for the full 2024-2025 schedule and live coverage options.
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