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

SALEM, Ore. (Nov. 17, 2024) - Showing up ready to execute for the third outing in a row, the North Central College men's basketball team closed out a two-game Pacific Northwest swing Sunday with a third straight win. The Cardinals broke free of Willamette University early in the contest and departed Cone Field House with a 69-50 triumph over the Bearcats.

North Central took the lead for good after outscoring the Bearcats, 14-1, over a stretch of nearly seven minutes midway through the first half and limited the hosts to 29.1 percent shooting (16 of 55) from the floor. 

Trailing, 6-4, after three minutes of play, the Cardinals (3-0) scored on six straight possessions to gain the upper hand early. Tyler Swierczek and Ethan Helwig sank jumpers to open the rally before Terrance Moncrief came up with a steal and fed Swierczek on a fast-break layup. Sean Molloy backed into the free-throw lane and sank a turnaround bucket, then assisted Helwig for a layup before scoring again in the paint as the visitors owned a 16-6 lead with 13:37 still to play in the first half.

The Bearcats (2-1) held North Central scoreless for the final 1:50 of the opening period and cut their deficit to 30-24 by halftime. Willamette narrowed the gap to 34-30 early in the second half before Swierczek pulled up for the Cardinals' lone made three-pointer of the night and Drew Gaston broke free for a layup off another steal by Moncrief. Josiah Frank knocked down a three-pointer for the Bearcats, but the hosts did not score again for nearly three minutes, during which time North Central took control for good with a run of nine straight points. 

Tyler DiSilvio found space in Willamette's zone coverage for three straight baskets, scoring a layup off a backdoor pass from Gaston before squaring up for a pair of jumpers in the paint. Gaston, who came off the bench to lead North Central in scoring with 15 points, then scored on a tip-in was fouled, completing the three-point play to yield a 48-33 Cardinal lead with 14:37 on the clock.

North Central extended its lead to 52-36 following two more jumpers by DiSilvio and stayed in front by double digits the rest of the way. Molloy and DiSilvio joined Gaston in double figures with 14 and 10 points, respectively, while Swierczek totaled nine and Helwig finished with eight points while leading the team in rebounds (12) and assists (4). Despite making just 1 of 19 three-point attempts, the Cardinals shot 55.1 percent (27 of 49) from inside the arc and forced 17 turnovers while committing just eight. Frank was the leading scorer for Willamette with 15 points.

The Cardinals are idle until Saturday when they travel to face the No. 2-ranked University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1-1). Tipoff at Williams Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Click HERE for the full 2024-2025 schedule and live coverage options.

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