CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park University men's basketball earned an 84-82 victory over Carroll University Wednesday night at Carlson Gymnasium, getting back in the win column against a team that beat them on a buzzer beater earlier this season.
Carroll (8-11, 3-7 CCIW) controlled the early tempo, building an 11-point advantage midway through the first half. The Pioneers capitalized on turnovers and fast-break opportunities to take a 16-5 lead with 14:34 remaining in the opening period. North Park (11-8, 4-6 CCIW) responded with its first sustained run of the night, scoring nine of the next 11 points. Layups by senior guard William Bates and junior guard Mike Vuckovic, followed by a three-pointer from Vuckovic, trimmed the deficit to two and shifted momentum back toward the hosts.
The Vikings continued to chip away through bench production and second-chance points. North Park closed the half on a strong surge, highlighted by three-pointers from senior forward Dylan Fuzak and junior guard Jahki Gray in the final two minutes. Fuzak's three with 30 seconds left capped a late rally that erased the remaining deficit and sent the game into halftime tied at 41-41.
The second half opened with North Park asserting control thanks to some of its most efficient shooting numbers of the season. After the teams traded baskets early, the Vikings went on a decisive 12-2 run between the 12:53 and 10:09 marks. Junior center Julian Campbell scored on consecutive possessions inside, Bates added a fast-break layup, and senior guard Kolden Vanlandingham finished the run with a jumper in the paint to give North Park its largest lead of the game at 68-54.
Carroll answered with a steady comeback, using strong interior play and perimeter shooting to close the gap. The Pioneers trimmed the margin to two points multiple times in the final three minutes, including a fast-break layup by Michael McNabb with 1:50 remaining that made it 80-79.
North Park responded at the free-throw line. Vanlandingham converted four straight free throws in the final 1:41 and, even with four fouls, poked the ball away in a last shot-gathering attempt by the Pios as NPU held on for the 84-82 win.
North Park finished the night shooting 63.8% (30-47) from the field and a season-high 54.5% (12-22) from three-point range. The Vikings also enjoyed seven blocked shots, including three by junior forward Lazario Cornish. That 63.8 shooting percentage tonight is the top mark in the CCIW for the 2025-26 season against any non-system opponent and it's the best CCIW team shooting percentage since Illinois Wesleyan's 64.4% mark in a win over Elmhurst on January 17, 2022.
North Park Leaders
Carroll Leaders
- Michael McNabb — 26 points
- Lamar Smith — 21 points, 6 rebounds
- Peyton McKenna — 11 points, 4 assists
What's Next?
North Park hosts CCIW co-leader Carthage College (13-6, 7-3 CCIW) on Saturday, January 31, inside Carlson Gym. Tipoff is set for 4:15 PM CT.
