Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Dec. 6, 2025 - Outscoring No. 10 Illinois Wesleyan University 39-24 in the second half, the North Central College men's basketball team earned a statement victory over the Titans, 68-57 on Saturday night inside Gregory Arena.
Illinois Wesleyan jumped out to a 13-3 advantage early on. Free throws from Alejandro Diaz halted the visitors' run. A 7-0 run from the Titans added to their lead, going up by 13, 20-7 at the midway point of the first half.
Five quick points from the lone senior on the Cardinal squad Sean Molloy brought North Central back within single digits, 20-12. The teams traded points until a steal and fastbreak layup from Molloy opened a 10-0 run as the Cardinals knotted the contest at 24-24 with 3:36 left in the period. Illinois Wesleyan responded with a five-point swing. The Titans entered the locker room at halftime, up 33-29.
After two baskets from the Titans to open the second half, three pointers from Seth Cheney and Tre Davis brought North Central within two, 39-37 with 13:03 to play. Another deep ball from Davis tied the game at 40-40 before Diaz's free throws gave North Central its first lead of the game.
Davis' third three pointer put the Cardinals ahead by five, 49-44 with 8:15 left on the clock. Illinois Wesleyan brought the game back within a possession, 51-48 before threes from Cheney and Davis extended the hosts' advantage to nine, 57-48. A Tyler Swierczek jumper gave North Central its first double-digit lead with 1:16 to play. Clutch free throws down the stretch from Diaz and Davis sealed a 68-57 victory for North Central.
Davis finished the night with a career-high 17 points, posting a perfect 4-for-4 mark from beyond the arc. Molloy added a season-best 15 points on the night. Diaz recorded the first double-double of his career with 14 points and 10 rebounds while posting five assists and three steals. Swierczek scored nine points while Cheney registered six points on two clutch three pointers. As a team, North Central shot 29.5% from the floor with a 40% mark from three point range. The Cardinals were 22-of-28 from the free throw line.
The Cardinals held the Titans to a season-low 34.5% from the field, including an 18.8% mark in the second half. Illinois Wesleyan was 1-of-16 from behind the arc in the second half and 4-of-26 in the game. North Central outscored Illinois Wesleyan 28-11 in bench points. Noah Cleveland led the Titans with 18 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 night at the charity stripe.
North Central opens a six-game roadstand beginning on Saturday, Dec. 13 as the Cardinals visit North Park University. Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m. at Carlson Gymnasium in Chicago.
