CHICAGO, Ill. -- In another late-game surge, North Park University Men's Basketball delivered a pivotal College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) win on Saturday afternoon, erasing a double-digit second-half deficit to defeat North Central College, 95-84, and move into first place of the CCIW standings.
The Vikings trailed by 10 points (55-45) with 16:23 remaining, but a relentless surge fueled by quality shooting beyond the arc and defensive pressure flipped the script. North Park outscored the Cardinals 58-41 in the second half, riding a wave of momentum that began with back-to-back threes and ended with a dominant closing stretch.
North Park's comeback was sparked by a barrage from beyond the arc. After North Central extended its lead early in the second half, junior center Julian Campbell drilled a three at 19:21 to cut the margin to five. Moments later, freshman guard Marquis Vance connected from deep (17:50), and the Vikings never looked back.
From there, junior guard Mike Vuckovic and senior guard Kolden Vanlandingham took over. Vuckovic hit five second-half threes finishing with a game-leading 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Vanlandingham added 14 points, four steals, and two timely triples, including one that gave North Park its first two-possession lead at 4:25.
The Vikings shot a blistering 60% from three (9-of-15) after halftime, compared to North Central's 31% (5-of-16). That perimeter efficiency, combined with 15 fast-break points and 13 points off turnovers in the second half, proved decisive.
The Cardinals controlled the first half behind James Bullock and Sean Molloy, who combined for 25 points before the break. Bullock's mid-range game and Molloy's timely threes helped NCC build its largest lead at 16:23. Alejandro Diaz added 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Tyler Swierczek chipped in 13 points, including three triples.
But North Central couldn't withstand North Park's late surge, as the Vikings closed on a 25-13 run over the final six minutes.
Top Performers
North Park:
North Central:
- Sean Molloy – 15 pts, 4 ast
- James Bullock – 12 pts, 4 reb
- Tyler Swierczek – 13 pts, 3 threes
- Alejandro Diaz – 10 pts, 8 reb
What's Next?
North Park (6-2, 2-1 CCIW) steps out of CCIW play to begin four games away from conference action, starting with Greenville University (2-7, 0-3 SLIAC) on Monday, December 15, at home. Tipoff inside Carlson Gym is set for 4:00 PM.
