MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[lmitzel]

If NCC needed a statement game, they got one; Cardinals up on Millikin 32-12 at the half after maybe the quickest half of basketball I've ever seen.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 96
Illinois Wesleyan 86

[mr_b]

Final from Chicago: North Park 96, Illinois Wesleyan 86 to complete the season sweep.  Scoring leaders for the Vikings were Juwan Henry (26 points), Jordan Robinson (25 points), and Joe Biko (12 points).

[Gregory Sager]

NPU 96, IWU 86

Juwan Henry: 26 pts, 5:1 a:to
Jordan Robinson: 25 pts, 9 rebs
Joe Biko: 12 pts, 5 rebs
T.J. Cobbs: 11 pts
Colin Lake: 10 pts, 5 rebs, 7:1 a:to

Brady Rose: 19 pts
Alec Bausch: 14 pts, 13 rebs
Andy Stempel: 14 pts
Colin Bonnett: 10 pts

Textbook performance for a scrapbook result tonight for North Park, as the Vikings clicked in the halfcourt for all forty minutes. Aside from occasionally being lackadaisical in getting back down the floor after a Titans defensive rebound, the Vikes really played solidly in all phases tonight. Best of all was seeing Joe Biko step up tonight with probably his best game ever. He really did a great job on Trevor Seibring, who scored only nine points on 2-6 shooting and turned the ball over four times (three times traveling while trying to back in Biko; the big Vikings senior, as my color commentator Aaron Coleman pointed out, has really mastered the "pull out the chair" move defending the post).

The Vikings did a great job of not coughing up a double-digit lead in the second half, as has been their wont. They led by as much as 19 (80-61 with seven and a half minutes to go), and, although everyone in the gym knew that the Titans, who can sure score in a hurry, would make a run, the Vikings never allowed them to get closer than eight down the stretch.

This was a key win, as it allows NPU to keep pace a game behind Augie.

[Greek Tragedy]

If NCC needed a statement game, they got one; Cardinals up on Millikin 32-12 at the half after maybe the quickest half of basketball I've ever seen.

A statement game? Millikin was 1-7, 3-14 going into the game at NCC.

[4samuy]

NPU 96, IWU 86

Juwan Henry: 26 pts, 5:1 a:to
Jordan Robinson: 25 pts, 9 rebs
Joe Biko: 12 pts, 5 rebs
T.J. Cobbs: 11 pts
Colin Lake: 10 pts, 5 rebs, 7:1 a:to

Brady Rose: 19 pts
Alec Bausch: 14 pts, 13 rebs
Andy Stempel: 14 pts
Colin Bonnett: 10 pts

Textbook performance for a scrapbook result tonight for North Park, as the Vikings clicked in the halfcourt for all forty minutes. Aside from occasionally being lackadaisical in getting back down the floor after a Titans defensive rebound, the Vikes really played solidly in all phases tonight. Best of all was seeing Joe Biko step up tonight with probably his best game ever. He really did a great job on Trevor Seibring, who scored only nine points on 2-6 shooting and turned the ball over four times (three times traveling while trying to back in Biko; the big Vikings senior, as my color commentator Aaron Coleman pointed out, has really mastered the "pull out the chair" move defending the post).

The Vikings did a great job of not coughing up a double-digit lead in the second half, as has been their wont. They led by as much as 19 (80-61 with seven and a half minutes to go), and, although everyone in the gym knew that the Titans, who can sure score in a hurry, would make a run, the Vikings never allowed them to get closer than eight down the stretch.

This was a key win, as it allows NPU to keep pace a game behind Augie.

If my memory serves me, Joe Biko had a real important role in NPUs win at Augustana to start the conference schedule with a couple of big threes. Could Biko be the key to a late season North Park run? LOL.  Any production he gives them is a definite bonus.

[4samuy]

I was able to catch a good portion of the Augustana vs Elmhurst game in Rock Island and came away with the same thoughts from the game they played a week ago.  Elmhurst has bright future, especially on the perimeter. Although young, they out worked Augie, played without fear but in the end just didn't have the over all experience and talent as Augie. Yes, Augie is young as well but they are not starting four freshman as Elmhurst is.  That being said,  IMO the quickness and athleticism of NPU should be the deciding factor at Faganal on Saturday.

[Gregory Sager]

NPU 96, IWU 86

Juwan Henry: 26 pts, 5:1 a:to
Jordan Robinson: 25 pts, 9 rebs
Joe Biko: 12 pts, 5 rebs
T.J. Cobbs: 11 pts
Colin Lake: 10 pts, 5 rebs, 7:1 a:to

Brady Rose: 19 pts
Alec Bausch: 14 pts, 13 rebs
Andy Stempel: 14 pts
Colin Bonnett: 10 pts

Textbook performance for a scrapbook result tonight for North Park, as the Vikings clicked in the halfcourt for all forty minutes. Aside from occasionally being lackadaisical in getting back down the floor after a Titans defensive rebound, the Vikes really played solidly in all phases tonight. Best of all was seeing Joe Biko step up tonight with probably his best game ever. He really did a great job on Trevor Seibring, who scored only nine points on 2-6 shooting and turned the ball over four times (three times traveling while trying to back in Biko; the big Vikings senior, as my color commentator Aaron Coleman pointed out, has really mastered the "pull out the chair" move defending the post).

The Vikings did a great job of not coughing up a double-digit lead in the second half, as has been their wont. They led by as much as 19 (80-61 with seven and a half minutes to go), and, although everyone in the gym knew that the Titans, who can sure score in a hurry, would make a run, the Vikings never allowed them to get closer than eight down the stretch.

This was a key win, as it allows NPU to keep pace a game behind Augie.

If my memory serves me, Joe Biko had a real important role in NPUs win at Augustana to start the conference schedule with a couple of big threes. Could Biko be the key to a late season North Park run? LOL.  Any production he gives them is a definite bonus.

Biko is a really good matchup against certain teams. Against Illinois Wesleyan, which doesn't defend dribble penetration well and thus is always scrambling to put somebody extra in the vicinity of Jordan Robinson and Juwan Henry when they have the ball on the perimeter, Biko is the perfect antidote. Leave him alone to slough off on Robinson or Henry, and Biko will calmly drain an open trey. And, while nobody is ever going to refer to Biko as the Assyrian Bill Russell, his defense in the low post is adequate enough against a large center like Seibring who doesn't stray far from the basket (especially when said center keeps giving Biko a helping hand, as Seibring did tonight), as long as Biko plays smart and doesn't overcommit. Against an Alex Sorenson or a Kienen Baltimore it'd be another story, though.

Biko's had bigger scoring games than this one (he dropped 18 on Carthage in the crackerbox three years ago as a freshman), but this was really his most complete game ever. It's gotta be a great confidence boost for him as well. He even got to be the subject of the postgame interview that'll go up on the NPU website along with Kevin Shepke's gamer.

[kiko]

If NCC needed a statement game, they got one; Cardinals up on Millikin 32-12 at the half after maybe the quickest half of basketball I've ever seen.

A statement game? Millikin was 1-7, 3-14 going into the game at NCC.

To be fair, he didn't say what kind of statement they might be making... 

[Gregory Sager]

Other scores:

North Central 63, Millikin 44
The Cards rode that huge halftime lead lmitzel mentioned to an easy win tonight in the airplane hangar. Alex Sorenson led the way with 19 and 12, Erwin Henry contributed 16 and 9, and Jagger Anderson returned from the DL with 11 and a perfect 4:0 floor game. Matt Cappelletti hauled down 14 rebounds for NCC. The Big Blue didn't have anybody with more than eight points or five rebounds.

Augustana 87, Elmhurst 76
The Doggies held serve at Carver tonight behind a great share-the-wealth effort, as five players -- Chrishawn Orange (16), Pierson Wofford (16), Nolan Ebel (15), Jacob Johnston (15), and Dylan Sortillo (10) -- scored in double figures for Augie. Ebel and Johnston led the way with seven rebounds apiece, while Sortillo had a 3:0 floor game and Orange pilfered the rock three times. Elmhurst was led by Derek Dotlich's 22 points, while Jalen Loving chipped in 17 and Caleb Mowry 13 for the 'jays.

Carthage 69, Carroll 60
The Red Men avenged last week's home loss to the Pios with a little "turnabout is fair play" action at Van Male tonight. Mike Stevenson had 16 for the victors, and was joined in double figures by Brad Perry (13 and 12, with four blocks as well) and Derek Mason (11). Carroll was paced by Ben Widdes (14 pts, 5:1 a:to) and Kyle Keranen (14 pts, 3 stls), and Tanner Zaeske (12 pts).

[Gregory Sager]

We have some separation in the league now. Two games separate the top two (8-1 Augie and 7-2 North Park) from the middle five, and two games separate the middle five from the bottom two (2-7 Elmhurst and 1-8 Millikin). That middle five, however, is seriously bunched up; Carthage and Carroll are 5-4, Wheaton is 4-4, and North Central and Illinois Wesleyan are 4-5.

[lmitzel]

If NCC needed a statement game, they got one; Cardinals up on Millikin 32-12 at the half after maybe the quickest half of basketball I've ever seen.

A statement game? Millikin was 1-7, 3-14 going into the game at NCC.

To be fair, he didn't say what kind of statement they might be making... 

Pretty much.

This was more of a "We needed to win tonight" type of game. Getting the aforementioned (now 3-15) Millikin team at home helped, certainly. But the statement in mind was something of a "We aren't going away quietly this season" statement.

[AndOne]

If NCC needed a statement game, they got one; Cardinals up on Millikin 32-12 at the half after maybe the quickest half of basketball I've ever seen.

A statement game? Millikin was 1-7, 3-14 going into the game at NCC.

To be fair, he didn't say what kind of statement they might be making... 

I think the only statement that emanates from this game is that Millikin isn't a very good team.

[AndOne]

Absent Connor Raridon, and the level of competition not withstanding, some nice performances were turned in by the NCC Cardinals last night.

* Alex Sorensen with a double-double of 19 and 12, plus 2 blocks and 2 steals.
* Erwin Henry just missed a double-double with 16 points and 9 rebounds.
* Jagger Anderson, back after missing 2 games with a lower body injury had 11 pts, 4 assists, ZERO turnovers.

* Freshman Matt Cappelletti, who only played in 2 of the Cardinals first 6 games for a total of 3 minutes, made his 3rd start of the season and his 3rd in a row. His first 2 starts both resulted in double-doubles of 13 points + 13 boards, and 14 points + 10 boards. Last night he tallied only 5 points, but pulled down 14 rebounds, his third double figure rebounding game in a row.
In basically 12 games this season, Matt has 84 rebounds, an average of 7 per game which would rank in 3rd in the conference. When you add the 2 games in which he totaled 3 minutes, his official total of 84 rebounds in 14 games, ranks him 7th with an average of 6.0 RPG. In conference only games he has 59 rebounds in 7 games. His average of 8.4 in conference ranks him third, behind only Jordan Robinson, and Alex Sorensen.

* The 5 Millikin starters last night scored a combined total of 14 points.

[AppletonRocks]

WIAC is looking a lot stronger than the CCIW at this stage.