NAPERVILLE, Ill. – 22nd-ranked North Central outscored Augustana 16-7 over the final six minutes Thursday to post a 68-63 win over the top-ranked Vikings at Gregory Arena. Coach Grey Giovanine's club had a 17-game winning streak snapped and is now 19-2 on the year and 11-1 in the CCIW. The Cardinals improved to 18-3 overall and to within a game of the conference lead at 10-2.

 

With 7:37 to play, Pierson Wofford (Springfield Lutheran HS, Springfield, Ill.) scored on a putback and was fouled. His free throw gave Augustana a 54-52 advantage and Nolan Ebel (Regis Jesuit HS, Denver, Colo.) hit a long two-pointer thirty seconds later to put the Vikings up four.

After getting a stop, they had a chance to extend the lead, but North Central's Blaise Meredith came up with a steal. A Meredith free throw and a Connor Raridon layup pulled the hosts to within a point as the clock ticked under five minutes. The teams teams then combined for five straight empty trips before Matt Cappelletti's steal and layup at the 3:00 minute mark gave the Cardinals a 57-56 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
 
Three-pointers by Tommy Koth and Cappelletti helped keep Augustana at bay and North Central converted five of six free throws in the final 37 seconds to ice the win.
 
There were four lead changes and eight ties in the first half. Neither team led by more than three points until Augustana used an 8-0 run to go up 29-21 with 3:14 left. Wofford scored four in the spurt. Cappelletti scored just before the halftime buzzer to pull the Cardinals to within 33-28 at the break.
 
A Cappelletti three sparked a 16-4 North Central run to start the second half. Raridon's bucket with 14:37 remaining gave the hosts their biggest lead of the night at 44-37. The Vikings battled back behind a pair of Lucas Simon (Notre Dame HS, Chicago, Ill.) treys, eventually getting to within a point (52-51) on two technical free throws by Brett Benning (Dakota HS, Davis, Ill.). Wofford's conventional three-point play finished off the possession and regained the lead for Augustana before the Cardinals retook the lead for good.
 
Wofford—who experienced just the second CCIW setback of his career (27-2)—led the Vikings with 15 points, six rebounds and three steals. Simon drilled three of four from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points. Chrishawn Orange (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.) tallied 11 as well. Meredith and Cappelletti led North Central with 18 apiece.
 
For the game, Augustana converted 23 of 53 (.434) from the field, just four of 17 (.235) from three-point range and 13 of 21 (.619) from the foul line. The Cardinals shot  .490 (25-51) from the floor .368 (7-19) from long range and .611 (11-18)  from the free throw line. Rebounds were even at 32 each and the Vikings committed 15 turnovers to 14 for North Central.
 
It'll be a quick turnaround for Augustana, as the Vikings return to Carver Center on Saturday, February 2 to host North Park in a 7:00 p.m. tilt.