CHICAGO, Ill. — The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opened its postseason tonight with the No. 4 North Park Vikings hosting the No. 5 Wheaton College Thunder, while No. 3 Elmhurst welcomed No. 6 Carroll. The Vikings and Thunder met for the second time in ten days, and for the second consecutive year North Park hosted a CCIW Quarterfinal inside Carlson Gymnasium.
The first half was tightly contested, as both teams understood the slim margin for error that comes with playoff basketball. North Park fed off an energetic home crowd and established an early offensive rhythm behind All-CCIW Second Team selection Kolden Vanlandingham, who scored 12 points in the opening period. Lazario Cornish provided a strong interior presence, going a perfect 3-for-3 in the paint and adding a three-pointer.
Defensively, the Vikings faced the challenge of containing Wheaton's All-CCIW duo Soren Richardson and Kyan VanderWoude, who entered as the Thunder's focal points. North Park forced eight first-half turnovers—including two shot-clock violations—and capitalized with 14 points off those miscues. Vanlandingham contributed on both ends with two blocks and a steal, while the Vikings protected the ball well themselves, committing just three turnovers before halftime.
Wheaton looked poised to take a four-point lead into the break, but Cornish jumped a passing lane in the final seconds, resulting in a fast-break and a flagrant foul. He hit both free throws to make it 42–40, and after North Park retained possession, Cornish was fouled again and split a pair at the line. Wheaton carried a narrow 42–41 advantage into halftime.
The second half delivered everything a playoff crowd could hope for—13 lead changes, 17 ties, and momentum swings throughout, setting the stage for an eventual double-overtime finish. North Park continued converting Wheaton turnovers into points and won key statistical battles, including free throws (30–38, 78.9%) and three-point shooting (9–27, 33.3%). Wheaton finished 26–39 at the line (66.7%) and 4–15 from beyond the arc (26.7%).
Mike Vuckovic was electric after halftime, scoring 23 of his 26 points in the second half and overtime.
He took over offensively once Vanlandingham fouled out early in the second overtime. Before exiting, Vanlandingham posted a crucial all-around performance—19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal.
While all ten starters across both teams scored in double figures, North Park's bench proved decisive, outscoring Wheaton's reserves 15–0, a separation strongly reflected in the final box score. Julian Campbell stepped up after Cornish fouled out, providing 8 points and 6 rebounds. Cornish still finished with an impactful 17 points and 8 rebounds. Meanwhile, William Bates and Marquis Vance surged in the second half: Bates ended with 16 points (5–11 FG), and Vance delivered 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, with the pair combining for 23 second-half points after scoring only 7 before the break.
Both overtimes were played with playoff-level intensity, every loose ball fiercely contested. In the decisive moments, North Park separated thanks to clutch free-throw shooting from Tyvin Garrison, timely baskets from Vuckovic, and key defensive stops.
When the final horn sounded, the Vikings' home crowd erupted as North Park secured a 107–100 victory and advanced to the CCIW Semifinals.
With Elmhurst defeating Carroll, North Park—now the lowest remaining seed—will travel to face the No. 1 seed Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, where the remainder of the CCIW Tournament will be held. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 27.
