NCC 71, Wheaton 67
Game Summary
This was a game worthy of this rivalry as the Cardinals (15-5, 8-1) were able to open up a 10-3 lead early in the game, and used some long range shooting to take a 19-9 edge and establish control. Then the long range shots started falling as the Thunder (5-15, 1-8) worked their way back into the game and took a 25-24 lead. The teams traded buckets for a while before the Thunder took a 34-30 lead. The Cardinals closed the first half with a 6-2 mini run to go into the locker room tied at 36. Wheaton came out strong and kept the game close before a 10-0 Cardinal run gave North Central a 50-42 lead. The Thunder managed to fight back again, and closed the deficit to two a couple times, including with three seconds left, but the Cardinals hit enough free down the stretch, including a pair with under a second left, to finish off the Thunder.
Key Stats
- Alex Sorenson (NCC): 8-16 FG (1-3 3PT), 2-2 FT; 19 pts, 11 reb (4 off), 2 ast, 4 blk. Ho hum, another Sorenson double-double. He didn't really have that "take over the game" moment, but he was definitely a factor throughout, helped by a lack of foul trouble. Wheaton's defense did a great job of keeping his impact down, but he still did more than enough to lead the Cardinals to victory.
- Jagger Anderson (NCC): 5-6 FG, 4-7 FT; 14 pts, 8 reb (1 off), 5 ast. With Connor Raridon (four points on 1-9 shooting) struggling a bit on offense, the Cardinals needed others to step up, and Jagger did so. He was able to drive against a tough defense, getting multiple reverse layups to fall and getting to the line with some regularity.
- Michael Winowiecki (WHE): 5-13 FG (4-7 3PT), 2-2 FT; 16 pts, 3 reb (3 off). Before the game, one of Wheaton's assistant coaches gave me the pronunciation of his name, but also told us that he probably wasn't going to get into the game unless it was a blowout. Go figure then that he not only played 23 minutes but was one of Wheaton's best players. He's also now on the Awesome Names to Announce All Stars, who still haven't suited up for play yet only because it's him and Yip Ypya from Millikin so far. More to come.
- @ Elmhurst 85 (17-3, 7-2), Millikin 56 (6-13, 0-9)
- @ Augustana 95 (19-1, 8-1), North Park 92 (13-7, 5-4) (OT)
- Illinois Wesleyan 69 (11-9, 5-4), @ Carthage 60 (8-12, 2-7)
Schauer is a very good coach, even with the Thunder having a down year. He's very passionate about what's going on, and was working the refs for much of the evening on Saturday (to be fair, Todd Raridon was too). Through it all though, Mike Schauer never took his jacket off. This is the second time this season a CCIW coach has failed to do so. Fortunately, that will be remedied on Wednesday... and quickly.
Final Thoughts
I hate to complain about this after a win, but the officiating Saturday night was not very good. They were very inconsistent with calls, a couple times letting Wheaton get away with murder while calling North Central for ticky tack stuff. I'm sure Wheaton had complaints aboutthings as well though, and there wasn't much of a foul disparity (19 for Wheaton, 15 for NCC). All in all though, it didn't impact the game.
It's another big win for the Cardinals, their fifth in a row after getting embarrassed out in Rock Island. They get a shot at revenge on Wednesday though, as Augustana comes to Merner Fieldhouse. Last time these two met in Naperville, Augie was ranked #1 in the country and escaped with a road victory. They may not be so lucky this time. A 33-2 start is incredibly unlikely again, especially at home, but the Cardinals need to be ready to play. This game is critical for the Cardinals, as a win eliminates the head to head tiebreaker and would give North Central sole possession of first place in the CCIW. It's also their second to last home game, with Saturday's date against Illinois Wesleyan serving as Senior Night and the home regular season finale before a three game road trip to close out the slate.
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