Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Jan. 7, 2026 - In a tightly contested College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin matchup, the North Central College men's basketball team could not overcome a slow offensive start as Carthage College earned a 69-61 victory Wednesday night inside Gregory Arena.
An Alejandro Diaz three-pointer on the first Cardinal possession put North Central on top before Carthage responded with a 13-7 advantage. A jumper from James Bullock Jr. halted the Firebirds' run, and three free throws from Tyler Swierczek brought North Central within three, 15-12, with 8:36 left in the first half. That sparked an 8-0 run by the hosts as the Cardinals retook the lead, 17-15. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half, with a Molloy score keeping North Central within four, 25-21. A three-pointer from AJ Johnson with 22 seconds left sent Carthage into halftime with a 31-23 lead.
After the Firebirds pushed the margin to 10 early in the second half, Diaz drew another shooting foul from deep and made all three free throws before Molloy converted an old-fashioned three-point play to bring North Central within four, 35-31.
The teams continued to trade blows as Ethan Marlowe grabbed an offensive rebound for a second-chance basket and Seth Cheney buried a three-pointer. A quick layup by Cheney cut the deficit to 45-42 with 11:26 remaining. Carthage rebuilt a seven-point lead before Tre Davis knocked down a deep ball and Tyler Di Silvio hit a pair of free throws. Another three from Diaz pulled North Central within two, 57-55, with 5:13 left. That was as close as the Cardinals would get, as Carthage held firm over the final five minutes to secure the 69-61 win.
Molloy led North Central with 17 points, followed by Diaz with 13. Tyler Surin grabbed nine rebounds, while Molloy and Bullock Jr. each recorded two steals. As a team, North Central shot 35% from the floor and 16.7% from beyond the arc. Carthage shot 45.8% overall and 42.9% from three-point range. Riley Brooks paced the Firebirds with 21 points.
North Central stays at home Saturday, hosting Wheaton College in the teams' first matchup of the season. The Cardinals have won three of the past four meetings, including both in Naperville. Tipoff in Gregory Arena is set for 4:15 p.m.
