NCC 80, Elmhurst 62
Game Summary
This game had all the makings of an instant classic early, as the #25 Cardinals (13-5, 6-1) surrendered a basket on the opening possession of the game, but responded with the next ten points to open up a sizable early advantage. The #2 Blue Jays (16-2, 6-1) answered with a 10-2 run to tie the game, and then we saw a very even battle between the two teams emerge over the next several minutes before the Cardinals finally broke out with a 13-2 run to open up a 35-24 edge, but the Blue Jays got a bucket right before halftime to make it a single digit deficit going into the break. The Cardinals came right back out with intensity to start the second half though, exploding for a 15-4 run out of the gate, forcing the Blue Jays to call timeout to stop the bleeding. It temporarily got Elmhurst back in the contest, as they pulled back within 13, but the Cardinals pushed the lead back over 20 thanks to a 10-0 run, and both teams emptied their benches in the final three minutes with the outcome decided and one of the nation's best upended.
Key Stats
- Jagger Anderson (NCC): 7-11 FG (1-2 3PT), 5-9 FT; 20 pts, 4 reb (1 off), 5 ast, 4 stl. I haven't written much about Jagger so far this season, but he was phenomenal tonight. He was able to get to the basket pretty much at will tonight, including picking up a couple and-ones in the second half as the Cardinals pulled away.
- Alex Sorenson (NCC): 8-11 FG (3-4 3PT), 0-3 FT; 19 pts, 9 reb (2 off), 3 ast, 4 blk. One of these nights, I'm not going to have anything to write about Alex, but he's really been the key guy for this Cardinal team. He was able to get into a rhythm for the second straight game, and hit the back end of back-to-back threes to force an Elmhurst timeout to try and kill the Cardinals' momentum. He was also a force on defense with his four blocks. Just another day at the office.
- Kyle Wuest (ELM): 6-19 FG (2-7 3PT), 1-1 FT; 15 pts, 5 reb (2 off), 3 ast. Elmhurst's leading scorer stayed about even with his season average, but was very inefficient in doing so, shooting well below his season average (44.7 percent from the field, 44.3 percent from deep). He also battled foul trouble, and actually fouled out with about five minutes left in the game. At that point, the Cardinals were already pretty far ahead, but he was frustrated leaving the floor.
- @ North Park 82 (12-6, 4-3), Illinois Wesleyan 70 (9-9, 3-4)
- @ Augustana 96 (17-1, 6-1), Millikin 50 (6-12, 0-7)
- Carthage 85 (8-10, 2-5), @ Wheaton 79 (5-13, 1-6)
John Baines Jacket Watch
I'm sorry, Geoffy. I failed you. John Baines kept his cool (relatively speaking) for most of the contest. His jacket actually remained on for the entirety of the game, which is mildly disappointing. However, he should have gotten ejected from the game for repeatedly stepping well outside of the coaches' box. He was almost to halfcourt a couple times, but the refs never caught it. Since he kept his cool for the most part, I guess I'll let it slide as I look forward to the next edition of the Jacket Watch in a week. Stay tuned.
This was a very important game, and after the clunker at Augustana, the Cardinals have shown up to play each of the last three games, all wins, and find themselves in a tie atop the CCIW. I was listening to Jayme Moten on WONC's postgame show on my way home, and he was mentioning how the Cardinals are the only ranked team with as many as five losses according to D3hoops.com, and deservedly so. Of those five losses, four are to teams ranked at least in the top 21 and the fifth was at Aurora, which is always a tough game. With the CCIW being as top heavy as it is, the Cardinals are right where they want to be at this stage. I'll touch on that a little bit more in the next couple days as I look at the second half of CCIW play.
The Cardinals are on the road on Wednesday at Millikin, but return home on Saturday for a stretch of three straight at home, starting with archrival Wheaton.
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