Game Notes: (MBK) Benedictine University @ North Central College (11/26/19)

Final Score
Benedictine 56, NCC 49

Game Summary
This one started okay as the Cardinals (2-2) scored the game's first five points. But the Eagles (5-1) went into heat check mode, with three consecutive threes to grab control. The Cardinals would score the next four to tie the game again, but an 8-0 Eagle run forced a North Central timeout and it was back into chase mode. That eight point lead was the high water mark for the half and the Cardinals managed to fight back to within two at 24-22 at the break. Coming into the second half though it was the Eagles who took the initiative, scoring the half's first five points. The Cardinals managed to make it a one possession game a couple times, but every time Benedictine answered. North Central pulled within one again at 41-40, but a three point play followed by a three a couple minutes later pushed the Eagle lead back to seven, and the Cardinals never got within four the rest of the night.

Key Players

• Mike Boatright (BEN): 6-15 FG (4-10 3PT); 16 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl. Not a bad box score. The relative of Aurora basketball legend Ryan Boatright was the one who went into Heat Check Mode at the outset, hitting those three three's to get the Eagles back after that early 5-0 deficit. He struggled the rest of the night, but those threes helped set the tone, and I'm a little surprised to see how much more he filled the stat sheet.
• Nick Kosich (BEN): 5-8 FG (2-4 3PT), 2-3 FT; 14 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast. I almost went with Eric Grygo here (16 points and 6 boards on 6-11 shooting), but Kosich played a bigger role late I feel like. Serious early foul trouble (he had three in the first half) limited his effectiveness early as he went into the break with just two points, but he had two major daggers late in the second half. With the score at 41-40, he scored all six of those points in the key run, including that three as part of a six point swing (Mike Pollack had a corner three blocked on the preceding possession).
• Connor Raridon (NCC): 7-12 FG (2-6 3PT), 6-6 FT; 22 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl. I feel like this was a "quiet" 22 for Connor. He spotted up from deep a few times and had arguably the best night from deep of anyone (except Mike Pollack, who went 3-7 from deep), and spent much of the rest of the night in his office down low. While the Eagles did a pretty good job limiting him, I was still surprised to look at the box and see how many point he did put up; getting to the line half a dozen times helps.

Key Stats

• NCC: 6-33 3PT (18.2%). One night after destroying Rose-Hulman from beyond the arc, the Cardinals went ice cold from out there. Benedictine did a better job defending them I feel like, but there were a number of open looks missed. It took the Cardinals almost 16 and a half minutes to hit their first after missing something like their first 13. They won't shoot this poorly every night, but you can't survive against good teams when you shoot like that.
• BEN: Outscored NCC in the paint 28-14. This is where Eric Grygo came into play to some degree. There was a degree of a size advantage here, but not a major one. They just managed to get to the basket and cash in where the Cardinals couldn't.

Final Thoughts

There are two sequences that will haunt me from last night. Down 49-42 with the ball, North Central had a great chance as Blaise Meredith beat his man and had a wide open layup... but missed it. The other came in the final minute with the Cardinals down four. Matt Cappelletti blocked an Eric Grygo layup, but the Cardinal offense bogged down as no one seemed to want to take the shot. Somehow Connor Raridon got free right under the basket and got a great pass from the opposite corner... only to lose the handle and turn it over. Convert one of those chances and the Cardinals might win; convert both and I feel like they do.

Instead, the Eagles took back the Bill Warden-Tony LaScala Trophy as they won the Battle of Chicago-Maple Avenue for the first time since 2015-16 when they made the national title game. I went into this game thinking the Cardinals would win by roughly what the final margin turned out to be, but even with some deference to the Eagles going in, I definitely underestimated them. They're legit, and should be in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament when we get to February and March. For the Cardinals though, it's a quality loss... but the quality losses have to turn into quality wins at some point.

The Cardinals close their season opening homestand at 2-2, which is not great. Now they spend a ton of time on the road, as their next eight will be played away from Gregory Arena. That starts this weekend as the Cardinals head to Kalamazoo to play Olivet and the hosts, then open CCIW play the following week up in Kenosha against a Carthage team that has quickly turned into a conference and national dark horse.