Game Notes (MBK): Augustana College @ North Central College (1/28/21)

Final Score

NCC 71, Augustana 62

Game Summary

This one had the hallmark of a classic NCC-Augie matchup as defenses ruled the opening minutes. The Cardinals (3-0) didn't even record their first field goal until six minutes in, though trips to the line helped account for scoring to keep this a tight game. Back to back threes midway through the half gave the Cardinals a 14-10 lead, but after a Viking (0-2) timeout to stop the bleeding, they hit three straight from beyond the arc and forced the Cardinals to return the favor with a stoppage. The Cardinals kept it close, cutting the deficit to one before going into the break down four thanks to a late layup. Playing the entire second half without Blaise Meredith, the Cardinals opened it with a 9-2 run to retake the lead, but the Vikings fought back and took a six point lead again with about eight minutes to go. After a Cardinal timeout came the decisive run: the Cardinals scored 13 straight over the next four minutes to take control, pushed the lead to double digits with about a minute to go, and hit free throws late to seal the deal and remain unbeaten.

Key Players

• Matt Helwig (NCC): 5-9 FG (0-3 3PT), 10-10 FT; 20 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl. On a night where Blaise sat the entire second half, the Cardinals needed someone else to step up, and Helwig did, leading all scoring and tying for the game high in rebounds, which as a 6'2" guy is pretty impressive. 14 of Matt's 20 points came in the second half, including all ten of his free throws.
• Shea Cupples (NCC): 2-7 FG (1-4 3PT), 4-4 FT; 9 pts, 5 reb (1 off), 5 ast, 1 stl. I could have gone with Matt Smietanski (15 pts, 7 reb) or maybe Mike Pollack (13 and 5), but I wanted to highlight the sophomore whose shots weren't really falling (though he hit a big three in the second half when Augie was going on its run to take that six point lead with about eight minutes to go, keeping the game still in reach). On a night where he wasn't shooting great, he still got his teammates involved with a game high in assists and pulled down a good number of rebounds amongst the trees. Shea didn't get a lot of run last year, but he's become a key rotation piece this year, and so far he's risen to the challenge.
• Daniel Carr (AUG): 6-15 FG (2-6 3PT), 2-3 FT; 16 pts, 11 reb (1 off), 1 ast, 2 blk. Carr is going to follow in the footsteps of a line of successful Augie big men, though he also brings a nice inside-outside game somewhat reminiscent of former NCC standout Alex Sorenson (though per IWU guy Bob Quillman, he's better facing the hoop than Alex, but not as good with his back to the bucket.) Carr showed off his skillset last night, especially in the first half with 14 points and 7 rebounds before the Cardinals were able to contain him to 1-6 shooting in the second half. Carr is only a sophomore though, so he's only going to get better.

Key Stats

• NCC: 22-28 FT (78.6%). The score may not necessarily have suggested it, but based on shooting percentages, this was your typical NCC-Augie defensive struggle, which meant free throws would make the difference, and the Cardinals made more from their trips than Augie attempted (bearing in mind Augie fouled a ton in the final minutes, giving the Cardinals multiple trips to the line). That led to a 16-20 performance in the second half for NCC, more than enough to ice away the game.
• AUG: Outscored 11-0 off turnovers. I preached defense, but both teams took care of the ball last night (a combined 19 turnovers). But off NCC's nine giveaways, the Vikings could not capitalize, while the Cardinals turned ten Viking turnovers into 11 points. You do the math.

CCIW Scoreboard Watch

• WHE 82 (2-0), @ MIL 61 (0-2)
• @ CAR 69 (2-0), NPU 55 (0-3)
• IWU (1-0) @ ELM (0-0)- PPD
• BYE: CRL (0-1)
• WBK: @ AUG 69 (1-1), NCC 63 (0-3)

Final Thoughts

Photo by Steve Woltmann

I touched on it a couple times, but I feel like I do need to clarify a bit about the fact that Blaise Meredith sat the entire second half. He was heated coming off the floor at the first half buzzer, and I'm guessing took it too far, because he spent the entire second half sitting at the front spot on the bench, towel over his head. He's a guy that plays with a lot of fire and emotion, which is good, but can backfire if he's having an off night (which he was, at least offensively). Ultimately, his teammates picked him up with that key four minute stretch late and his presence wasn't necessary for a good win against a not-quite-what-they-used-to-be, but still dangerous Augustana team.

The Cardinals will return the home-and-home on Saturday afternoon with a trip to the Carver Center, while the women will try to bounce back from another heartbreaker in that very building last night by facing that same Augustana team in Merner on Saturday.