Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Jan. 31, 2026) - Opening a four-game stretch away from Gregory Arena, the North Central College men's basketball team fell behind late in the first half to No. 12 Illinois Wesleyan and never recovered in a 93-64 loss Saturday afternoon inside the Shirk Center.

After the Titans scored the game's first four points, James Bullock Jr. buried a three pointer before Sean Molloy sank a pair of free throws to put the Cardinals in front, 5-4, early on. Justin Sveiteris and Tyler Swierczek made baskets on back-to-back possessions, but Illinois Wesleyan's offense found its rhythm to take a 10-point lead, 27-17. Kam McIntyre's first career points put the Cardinals back within single digits, 30-21, with 5:59 to play in the first half. Five straight points for Alejandro Diaz cut into North Central's deficit, 32-26, before the hosts extended their lead to 12 by halftime, 43-31.

Diaz opened the second half with a deep ball off an offensive rebound. Illinois Wesleyan used a 12-1 run to push its lead to 20, 55-35, with just over 16 minutes to play. A pair of Bullock Jr. free throws and a three pointer from Ethan Marlowe kept the Cardinals within striking distance, 55-40. The Titans responded with a 9-0 run, holding a 69-44 advantage midway through the second half.

Keegan Faulkner found Diaz for another three pointer before Diaz picked up his second assist on a made deep ball from Faulkner with 7:41 to play. Tre Davis hit a three pointer as well down the stretch, with Jaydon James adding five points, but the Titans secured a 93-64 win over North Central to split the season series.

Diaz paced the Cardinal offense with 15 points, including four three pointers, on the day, with Molloy adding eight points and eight rebounds. Ten different North Central players scored as the Cardinals shot 33.3% from the floor and 31% from behind the arc. The Titans posted a 56.7% mark from the field with a 39.1% three point shooting percentage. Noah Cleveland led all scorers with 29 points, along with 12 rebounds on the day.

North Central stays on the road to face another top conference opponent, Carthage College, Wednesday evening. Tipoff at Tarble Arena is set for 7 p.m. To purchase tickets to the contest, click HERE. The game will be shown exclusively on Marquee Network, which requires a subscription. To view Marquee's subscription options, click HERE.