Pictures: Angelina Azzo
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park men's basketball team faced off with the Carthage Firebirds on Wednesday evening in what proved to be a CCIW shootout. The Vikings ultimately came up just short after making multiple comeback efforts, moving to 4-2 in conference play this year putting them in a 3rd place tie with Illinois Wesleyan.
The two sides traded baskets throughout the first half, but neither the Vikings nor Firebirds managed a run to pull away. North Park operated with a balanced scoring attack that saw 10 players get on the board, led by Kolden Vanlandingham's 9. Meanwhile, Carthage opted to run the bulk of their offense through Fillip Bulatovic whose 13 first-half points led all scorers entering the break.
The Firebirds opened the second half living up to their name with a hot 16-8 start through the first six minutes. That gave them a 12-point lead to put the Vikings on their heels, but North Park managed to stave off any further damage and set themselves up to flip the script. Carthage cooled off over the ensuing possessions—an opportunity the Vikings leapt at with a 14-4 run to get back within two points. With effectively a new game on the line, the two teams were again in lockstep as had been the case in the first half. The Vikings managed to take the lead back at a score of 81-80, but that would be the last time North Park sat in the driver's seat. The Firebirds closed out the final five minutes the same way they started the second half, with the score going final at 94-105.
The Vikings' distributed offensive effort saw five players reach double figures, with Kolden Vanlandingham's 19 leading the way. The other four Vikings to cross the 10-point barrier were Marquise Jackson, Jordan Boyd, Jalen Boyd, and Quillin Dixon who set a new career-high of 14 with 3 three-pointers. Jackson narrowly missed out on a double-double with a team-high 9 rebounds.
What's Next?
Following the loss, North Park's next matchup will be another home contest this Saturday against conference foe Carroll. Tip-off set for 4:15 P.M. following the women's matchup between the two schools.