Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
AURORA, Ill. (Nov. 11, 2026) - Opening the 2026-27 campaign on the road, the North Central College men's basketball team was led by career-high scoring performances from
James Bullock Jr. and
Tyler Swierczek but could not close out Aurora University, falling 86-84 in overtime Wednesday night inside Thornton Gymnasium.
Bullock Jr. scored North Central's first points of the season on a layup before knocking down a 3-pointer off an assist from Alejandro Diaz. Eli Podoll converted a pair of free throws to give the Cardinals a 7-2 lead. After a basket from Swierczek, Aurora scored six straight points to cut the deficit to 9-8. Swierczek answered with a deep ball midway through the half to put North Central back in front, 16-10.
Following a Bullock Jr. layup, Diaz buried a triple to extend the Cardinals' lead to 23-13 with 6:35 left before halftime. Aurora responded with a 7-0 run, but Faisal Mohamud stopped the rally with a turnaround jumper. Podoll and Swierczek each connected from beyond the arc as North Central rebuilt a 10-point advantage, and Bullock Jr.'s layup in the closing minute sent the Cardinals into the locker room ahead, 35-25.
Bullock Jr. opened the second half with a basket before Diaz added two free throws and Tyler Surin converted a driving layup. Aurora battled back to tie the game at 48-48 with 12:04 to play. The teams traded points down the stretch as Bullock Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer for his 20th point of the night to put North Central ahead, 55-54. Tying a career high with his third triple of the game, Bullock Jr. pushed the Cardinals' lead to 62-57, but the Spartans answered. Diaz responded with a deep ball of his own to keep North Central in front, 66-62 with 4:45 remaining.
A clutch 3-pointer from Diaz helped the Cardinals maintain the lead, but Aurora continued to chip away and closed within 69-68 with less than three minutes to play. The Spartans regained the lead, 70-69, before Tre Davis found Swierczek on a backdoor cut for a layup to put North Central back in front. Aurora split a pair of free throws to tie the score at 71-71 with 34 seconds left. Out of a timeout, Diaz got free for a layup to restore the Cardinals' lead, but the Spartans answered at the other end to tie the contest once again. North Central's final possession came up empty, sending the season opener to overtime.
Swierczek converted a pair of free throws to open overtime. After an Aurora triple, Bullock Jr. split a trip to the charity stripe to establish a new career high with 26 points. The Spartans found their offensive rhythm and stretched their lead to six before Bullock Jr. buried a triple to pull North Central within one possession, 82-79. Following an empty Aurora trip, Swierczek grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and converted the putback to trim the deficit to 82-81 with 56 seconds remaining. Aurora answered by sinking both free throws on the ensuing possession to push its lead back to three, 84-81. North Central could not find a basket in the closing seconds as Aurora sealed the game at the free-throw line to secure an 86-84 victory.
Bullock Jr. led all players with 29 points, while Swierczek added 27, with both setting new career highs. Diaz posted a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. The Cardinals shot 43.1% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range, while the Spartans shot 39.7% from the field and converted 23 of 30 free-throw attempts compared to North Central's 10-of-14 mark at the line. Devon Richardson totaled 23 points and 19 rebounds to lead Aurora.
North Central looks ahead to its first game inside Gregory Arena this season, hosting Hope College for a 7 p.m. tipoff Tuesday, Nov. 17. The Cardinals defeated the Flying Dutch, 65-58, in Holland, Michigan, last season.
