PICTURED: CCIW Champions - North Park Vikings

It's been 30 years in the making, but the North Park Vikings can finally call themselves CCIW Men's Basketball Champions.

North Park earned a tri-regular season title with Carthage and Augustana Tuesday night as they closed out the 2016-17 campaign with a solid 86-71 victory over visiting Millikin University. The tri-championship was the first for the CCIW since the 2003 season and the second in conference's history.

A second half boost put the Vikes over the top as Millikin didn't go quietly in ending its season. The Big Blue closed within 42-36 at halftime, but North Park used a 14-3 run over a four-minute span in the second half to extend their lead to 74-56 after a Billy Kirby lay-up with 7:53 left in the contest.

Junior Jordan Robinson nearly had his first career triple-double as he poured in a game-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while dishing out seven assists. Junior Colin Lake added 16 points and both Juwan Henry and T.J. Cobbs had 14 points each.

The Vikes came within a late Carthage basket of possibly hosting the conference tourney and earning the conference championship as the No. 1 seed, but the Red Men were able to hold on for a 75-73 win and will host the CCIW tournament Friday and Saturday in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

North Park forced 19 turnovers – 12 coming off steals – and they generated 28 points off the mistakes. The Vikes also had 14 fast break points to Millikin's 2 and created 12 second chance points. Jordan Cunningham led Millikin with 21 points.

NP (18-7, 11-5) which finished with its best record under fifth-year head coach Tom Slyder, will now face Augustana College in the first semifinal of the conference tournament in Kenosha, Wisconsin Friday night at 5 p.m.