CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park men's basketball team came from behind to beat conference foe Carthage College on Wednesday night by a score of 71-68. The Vikings move to 4-2 on the season with a 1-0 record in CCIW play on the back of the victory.
The Vikings came out of the gates blazing hot from 3, going 6-for-9 from behind the arc in the 1st half. Despite the elite efficiency from the field and from 3, struggles at the free throw line (3-of-9 in the 1st) contributed to a back-and-forth half that saw five lead changes and 8 ties. Going into the half, North Park's Gabe Johnson led all scorers with 10 while Carthage was led by Kyle Czerak's nine points.
The 2nd half saw Carthage flip the script defensively, holding the Vikings to 38% from the field and 12.5% from 3. Meanwhile, the Firebirds shot a blistering 46% from 3 on 13 attempts. With their shooting and defense, Carthage was able to establish a nine-point lead with just under eight minutes remaining. At a score of 60-51, the Firebirds' offense stagnated while the Vikings put together their best stretch of the half on both ends, surpassing Carthage with five minutes left to play. Both teams traded baskets as the score worked its way to 66-66 with under a minute left. North Park's fate was in Michael Osborne's hands, and the Vikings' star came through with a hook shot to establish a two-point lead in crunch time. Osborne then proceeded to close the game with an and-one layup to put the Vikings up five with 16 seconds left. That lead proved insurmountable with NPU winning by a score of 71-66.
Quick Hits:
- Osborne leads the Vikings with 18 points
- Johnson, Jalen Boyd, and Jordan Boyd all with double-digit point totals - 15, 12, and 10, respectively
- Three steals for Izaiah Sanders
- Vikings with 32 points in the paint, 10 off of fast breaks
What's Next?
Coming off the big win, the Vikings take on Elmhurst University next. They'll matchup on Saturday at 4:00 PM for their second conference game of the season. The women's team will also be hosting Elmhurst at 2:00, in the Vikings' home double-header.
