CHICAGO, Ill. -- In North Park's last home game of the regular season, the Vikings (14-9, 7-7) looked to extend their win streak to four games as they played host to the #13 Illinois Wesleyan Titans (19-4, 11-3), who arrived Wednesday night on a four game win streak themselves, sitting at number one in the CCIW standings. However, the Titans earned a road win over the Vikings, capturing the 76-71 win.

Both teams traded baskets early on, staying neck-and-neck through the first ten minutes.  The Titans, who played tonight's game without their leading scorer Noah Cleveland who averages 19 points per game, went on a 13-3 run to give themselves some breathing room from North Park's swarming defense.  Mason Funk and Casen Lawrence provided much of the offense for Wesleyan as Funk charted 16 points and 2 blocks, while Lawrence knocked home three of his five three pointers and picked up 4 steals along the way. 

For the Vikings nothing seemed to come easily against a Titans defense that leads the nation in blocks per game across all NCAA divisions.  Tyvin Garrison led the way for the Vikings in the first half with 6 points on a perfect 3-3 shooting, with William Bates and Marquis Vance notching 5 points apiece, and Kolden Vanlandingham and Mike Vuckovic each only scoring 4 points.  Wesleyan closed out the the first half up 42-26.

However, North Park would not go away showing an impressive amount of determination to claw their way back into this game.  The Titans came out of halftime still riding the rhythm they forged in the first half extending their lead to as much as 21.  The Vikings stayed persistent as both Vanlandingham and Vuckovic found their groove getting to the basket and getting their teammates involved as both finished with 6 assists; Vanlandingham finished with 19 points and a game-high 8 rebounds and Vuckovic with 16 points on 6-12 shooting. 

With an emphasis on rebounding over the bigger Titans, North Park was able to inch the deficit down to as little as four points down the stretch and had a chance to get it even closer after Wesleyan missed four of their last six free throws as the Vikings played the fouling game. 

Mason Funk finished with 33 points, three points off his career high, and was the catalyst for the Titans' 76-71 win over North Park, moving the Vikings to 14-10 on the season and 7-8 in CCIW play.  Entering into the last regular game of the season, the Vikings still have a chance to land a home game in the first round of the conference playoffs, pending Saturday's resutls.

Tip off for the Vikings last regular season game against Elmhurst is on Saturday, February 21st at 4:15pm.