Game Notes: University of Mount Union @ North Central College (11/20/15)

Final Score
NCC 83, Mount Union 68

Game Summary
The Cardinals (1-0) came ready to play out of the gate, surging to an early advantage and forcing an early Purple Raider (1-2) timeout to try to stop the bleeding. It wasn't enough, as the Cardinals continued their surge behind a balanced attack. Mount Union eventually switched from man defense to a 2-3 zone and was able to fight back into the game, but the Cardinals adjusted and carried a 42-27 lead into the locker room. The Cardinals picked right back up where they left off in the second half making great offensive plays and keeping the crowd into it despite a sluggish pace thanks to a ton of fouls. The Raiders played it tough, but the Cardinals bled clock to finish it off as the crowd chanted "Overrated" on the final possession regarding the Raiders' being ranked 7th in the country.

Key Stats

• Alex Sorenson (NCC): 13-27 (0-2 3PT), 1-2 FT; 27 pts, 11 reb (5 off), 1 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk. The sophomore transfer from Northern Michigan proved an excellent successor to the Burchett/Rosenberg duo by dominating the paint with great touch around the basket. He also threw down an alley oop early in the second half to bring the house down.
• Aiden Chang (NCC): 2-5 FG (2-4 3PT), 4-4 FT; 10 pts, 4 reb (1 off), q ast. Chang is a freshman out of the Freeport area and was effective in his first college outing. He's a solid shooter and ball handler off the bench and shot pretty well. There were flashier guys to put in this spot, but I like this kid. Keep an eye on him.
• JJ Kukura (UMU): 11-21 FG (1-5 3PT), 10-10 FT; 33 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast. Talking with the official scorer, he's a guy you love to play with and hate to play against. He dominated offensively and was a pest on both ends, drawing a ton of fouls. 

Final Thoughts
I'm not too sure if the Raiders are that overrated as the crowd suggested, but they were definitely sluggish tonight. They got going later in the game but by then it was too late. The argument could be made them at the officiating was poor, but I think it was mostly consistent. Some calls were debatable, but it went both ways.

He Cardinals are off tomorrow, coming back Sunday to play Chicago for the tournament title. I'll have tomorrow's score between Chicago and Mount Union on Sunday as part of that game's post.