WAUKESHA, Wis. – The North Park University men's basketball team rode the wave of a huge second half to earn a convincing 75-55 win over the Carroll University Pioneers on Tuesday night.
The Vikings started slow in the opening half, as Carroll sent in a pair of jumpers, a layup, and a three pointer to hold a 9-2 lead five minutes in. North Park briefly closed this gap, but the Pioneers managed to maintain just under a double-digit lead through the majority of the first half. However, the Vikings rallied late in the half on free throws and a three pointer from Mike Osborne and an and-one layup by Izaiah Sanders to trail just 32-30 at halftime.
Halftime: Carroll 32, North Park 30
The Vikings could not miss in the second half, to say the least. After shooting a respectable 11-of-25 (44%) from the field in the first half, North Park caught fire in the second half, shooting 19-of-26 (73.08%), including 6-of-10 beyond the arc. Carroll, on the other hand, regressed – the Pioneers went from 11-of-26 (42.31%) shooting in the first half to 9-of-28 shooting (32.14%) in the second half. Additionally, the Vikings gave up just two three pointers to the Pioneers in the last 20 minutes of the game.
Nearly doubling their opponent's scoring output in the second half, 45-23, North Park earned a 75-55 road win.
FINAL: North Park 75, Carroll 55
Quick Hits:
- Toby Marek led all scorers with 24 points
- Mike Osborne, Jalen Boyd, and Jordan Boyd all turned in double-digit scoring performances
- The Vikings swiped eight Pioneer passes
- Osborne posted a double-double – 13 points and as many rebound
What's Next?
North Park (2-10) will round out the regular season at home this coming Saturday, February 27, against #2 Illinois Wesleyan University. Tipoff at the NPU Gym is set for 2 p.m.
