Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Feb. 14, 2026 — Honoring lone senior
Sean Molloy before tipoff, the North Central College men's basketball team fell behind early and never recovered in a 66–57 loss to Elmhurst University on Saturday night inside Gregory Arena.
James Bullock Jr. scored the game's first points before the Bluejays responded with a 15–2 run. Bullock Jr. added four straight points as both defenses settled in, with Elmhurst holding a 17–8 lead midway through the first half. A three-pointer from Alejandro Diaz provided a spark, followed by a jumper from Tre Davis and a pair of free throws from Molloy to trim the deficit to 28–21. Elmhurst added a basket before halftime to take a 30–21 advantage into the break.
A bucket from Ethan Marlowe and a successful trip to the line from Bullock Jr. opened the second half and brought the Cardinals within five, 30–25. Elmhurst answered with an 11–0 run to regain control, 41–25. A quick six-point burst, including a score in the paint from Justin Sveiteris, kept North Central within reach, but the Bluejays continued to extend the margin to 53–36 with 8:23 left.
A Bullock Jr. layup reignited the Cardinals, followed by a Molloy three and a Jaydon James layup to pull within 10, 53–43. A flagrant foul on Elmhurst turned into three points for North Central, cutting the deficit to eight, 56–48, with 5:47 remaining. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, with Elmhurst answering each Cardinal push. A Diaz jumper with 13 seconds left wasn't enough as the Bluejays held on for the 66–57 win.
Bullock Jr. led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. He also tallied five blocks, finishing one shy of the program's single-game record and tying for sixth in school history. Diaz added 12 points, while Molloy scored nine on Senior Night. The Cardinals shot 35 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three.
Luke Smith and Vinnie Adjahoungbeta paced Elmhurst with 15 points apiece. The Bluejays shot 45.3 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.
North Central concludes the 2025–26 season Wednesday with a 7 p.m. contest against Augustana College inside Gregory Arena. The Vikings outlasted the Cardinals 98–93 in a high-scoring matchup in January.
