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Carthage College Athletics

The Official Website of The Carthage College Firebirds
MBB Team
Kayleigh Wieska
84
Winner Carthage CARTH 9-4,3-1 CCIW
82
North Park NPU 6-8,1-4 CCIW
Winner
Carthage CARTH
9-4,3-1 CCIW
84
Final
82
North Park NPU
6-8,1-4 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Carthage CARTH 32 35 17 84
North Park NPU 34 33 15 82

Game Recap: #22 Men's Basketball |

Firebirds Seize Dramatic Overtime Triumph Over North Park

CHICAGO - Returning to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) action, the Carthage College men's basketball team battled back to defeat North Park 84-82 in overtime. 

The Basics
  • Final score: Carthage 84 - North Park 82 (OT)
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois - North Park Gymnasium
  • Records: Carthage 9-4 (3-1 CCIW), North Park 6-8 (1-4 CCIW)
How it Happened
  • North Park initially secured an eight-point lead in the first half through a well-executed jumper. 
  • Colton Sigel's three-pointer narrowed the gap to two points with 10:39 remaining.
  • Despite the Vikings extending their lead to five, Mason Miller's two free throws brought the score to 29-26 with three minutes left. 
  • Fillip Bulatovic added a jumper, resulting in a 34-32 score heading into halftime.
  • In the second half, the home team regained a 12-point lead with five minutes to go. However, Carthage mounted a comeback, embarking on a 12-1 run led by a crucial three-pointer from Antuan Nesbitt, flipping the score to 65-64. 
  • A last-minute three-pointer by North Park forced overtime, knotting the score at 67.
  • During overtime, Ryan Johnson's three-pointer propelled the Firebirds to a five-point lead. 
  • North Park countered with three free throws, and two more with nine seconds left brought the game to a one-possession situation. 
  • A lone free throw from Nesbitt put Carthage ahead by two with six seconds remaining. 
  • Despite North Park's attempt to force another overtime, their shot missed the mark, securing the victory for the Firebirds.

High Flyers
  • Fillip Bulatovic emerged as the top scorer for the Firebirds, concluding the day with an impressive 21 points and 13 rebounds. 
  • Bulatovic also contributed five assists and four steals.
  • Antuan Nesbitt made a significant impact with 19 points and four rebounds, while Julian Campbell secured eight rebounds. 
  • Colton Sigel and Ryan Johnson both contributed 10 points each, with Johnson also grabbing seven rebounds in the game.

Coachs Remarks
"Down 12 with under five minutes to go on the road, and we found a way to win! The guys battled all the way to the end and made some big plays in overtime. North Park has been playing great the last few weeks. We didn't handle their pressure well to start the game. It's very difficult to replicate their quickness in practice, and it took us a while to get settled. 

We did a much better job getting organized in the second half and overtime. Defensively, I thought we did a nice job making them take contested shots and work for their points. 

I'm very proud of the guys for battling all the way to the end. Many guys stepped up today, but couldn't be prouder of Mason Miller! He's one of the hardest workers on the team and stepped up when his number was called to give us a huge boost! 

Happy to be back at Tarble on Saturday. We need to build off this game and continue to get better every day!"


Team Results
  • Carthage returns to the court on Saturday, January 6, with a double-dip with the women's basketball team. 
  • The Firebirds play Millikin at 4:15 p.m.

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