NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The Carroll University men's basketball team lost a tightly contested battle to North Central College Saturday night by a score of 77-76. It was a back-and-forth battle in a game that saw four ties and 13 lead changes, 10 of which came in the first 12 minutes of action. Carroll (13-10, 6-8 CCIW) shot 50 percent from the field for the game, over 37 percent from three, and just under 67 percent from the free throw line. Junior Eckahelo Simpson was the game's leading scorer for the night, contributing an efficient 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Eckahelo also secured three rebounds and recorded four assists.
The Pioneers forced 11 turnovers and finished with 10 assists on the night. In addition to Eckahelo, two other Pios scored in double figures. Sophomore Jacob Naber posted a double-double of 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while senior Justin Steinike contributed 15 points. Carroll had eight players register at least one point, with 25 points coming from their bench. The Cardinals (8-15, 6-8 CCIW) shot 50 percent from the field for just the second time this season, including a white-hot 64% from the floor in the first half.
Carroll won the tip and Steinike drilled a quick three to open the scoring. North Central responded with a white-hot start, scoring on their first six possessions. but Carroll was able to stay within striking distance thanks to nine early points on 3-pointers from Steinike. Two Steinike free throws gave Carroll the lead once again with 16 minutes left in the opening half. It was a back-and-forth battle for the next several minutes, with both teams going up by one score on several occasions. With just over seven minutes left before halftime, the Pioneers held their largest lead of the game at four when Eckahelo sank a pair of free throws. Junior Dom Burns then made a hook shot in the paint on the next possession, prompting Coach Jannsen to call timeout to let the team catch their breath. North Central used that break to end the half on a 19-4 tear, spanning the last six minutes of the half, and sending the Pioneers into the locker room trailing by 12.
As they have all season, Carroll didn't back down, and found new life in the second half. Both teams missed their first attempts of the half, before Eckahelo stepped into a smooth 3-pointer, his third of the season, to open the scoring after halftime. The Cardinals responded with a three of their own to push their lead back to 12, but Naber then sank a pair of free throws and junior Kobe Simpson split two attempts to show the Pioneers were not going away without a fight. At the 16-minute-mark, Carroll began a quick 10-2 spurt, thanks to a 3-pointer from Bland, a layup from Eckahelo, and two layups from sophomore Lamar Smith, the second being an and-one. Just like that, Carroll was back within striking distance, down by just a single point with 13 and a half minutes to play. North Central would push the lead back to as many as six over the next several possessions, but Naber and Eckahelo took the game over from there, scoring Carroll's last nine points and corralling clutch rebound after clutch rebound. With 47 seconds remaining, Eckahelo grabbed a rebound off a missed Cardinals 3-pointer and convert a layup on the other end, giving Carroll a 76-75 lead. North Central then called a timeout with nine seconds to play and draw up the winning bucket, scoring on a turnaround fade-shot with less than a second to play.
Carroll will be back in action on Wednesday, when they'll host Elmhurst University. That game will begin at 7 p.m. from Van Male Fieldhouse in Waukesha, Wis.
