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

Feb. 8, 2025 - Both teams took turns dominating the run of play in Saturday's men's basketball game at Gregory Arena, as North Central College withstood a furious comeback effort to defeat North Park University, 86-81, on Senior Day.

The Cardinals (13-9, 6-7 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) enjoyed a 48-31 halftime advantage and led throughout most of the second half before North Park roared back into contention. With the score tied at 77-77 and 3:55 to play, North Central closed the game with a 9-4 run to secure a third win in four games.

Drew Gaston, who led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, opened the rally with a pair of free throws. Tyler Swierczek added two more charity shots in four attempts as the Vikings (14-8, 9-4 CCIW), who made 16 of their first 20 shots from the floor, saw a three-pointer and a layup miss the mark.

Lance Nelson's end-to-end drive for a layup cut North Park's deficit to 81-79 with 1:47 left. With the shot clock winding down at the other end, Gaston pulled up from 18 feet away and knocked down a fadeaway jumper with 1:16 left. The Vikings, however, scored on a putback from Taijon Barry to make it a two-point game once again at 83-81 with 47 seconds to play.

Once again called upon with the shot clock ticking away, Gaston pulled up from three-point range and scored the game's final points, bouncing high off the rim before dropping through the net and receiving confirmation from an officials' review with 18.7 seconds on the clock. 

Getting contributions from all nine players it sent on the floor, North Central shot 58.6 percent (17 of 29) from the floor in the first half. With the score tied at 25-25, the Cardinals closed the period with a 23-6 run, making 7 of 10 shots from the floor and 4 of 4 three-pointers. 

The Cardinals shot 52.7 percent (29 of 55) from the floor in the game, including 8 of 17 three pointers (47.1 percent), and owned a 36-28 rebounding advantage. Gaston, who scored 17 points after halftime, was one of five double-figure scorers for North Central. Justin Sveiteris finished with season-high totals of 11 points and six rebounds, while Ethan Helwig put up 11 points and Swierczek and Terrance Moncrief each scored 10. 

The Cardinals host their final home game of the regular season Wednesday, taking on Carthage College (16-5, 10-2). Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Click HERE for the full 2024-2025 schedule and live coverage options.

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