Box Score

Millikin MILLIKIN 14-12

North Central NCC 16-9

Millikin MILLIKIN

14-12

Final

Feb. 22, 2022

North Central NCC

16-9

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Millikin MILLIKIN	19	31	50
North Central NCC	19	38	57

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/22/2022 9:15:00 PM

Millikin Men’s Basketball Bows Out of CCIW Tournament

The Millikin men's basketball team's season came to an end with a 57-50 loss at North Central College in the opening round of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament on February 22 in Naperville, Illinois.

Millikin finishes the season 14-12 overall and 9-7 in CCIW action placing them fifth in the standings. Head Coach Kramer Soderberg's team qualified for the CCIW Tournament for the first time in program history. In today's second NCAA Regional rankings, Millikin was ranked ninth in Region 8.

Millikin lead for the majority of a low scoring first half with the game tied at 19-19 at halftime. North Central opened the second half with an 11-4 run to pull out to a 30-23 lead with 15 minutes left to play in the game. The Big Blue stayed close to the Cardinal the rest of the way and a Cole Laurence layup pulled Millikin to within two at 48-46 with 2:27 remaining.
Shea Cupples answered with a three-pointer for North Central to make it a 51-46 game. Demarcus Bond's free throw pulled Millikin to within four before Cupples converted two free throws to give the Cardinals a 53-47 advantage with 42 seconds left to play. Millikin made one more run and pulled to within three points on a Calvin Fisher three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining. North Central's Matt Helwig went 4-4 from the free throw line in the final 11 seconds to secure the victory.

Millikin shot 35.8 percent (19-53) from the field and made 5-19 from three-point range. North Central shot 35.7 percent (20-56) from the field. The Cardinals were 8-29 from beyond the arc. Millikin won the rebounding battle 39-36.

Laurence led Millikin with 16 points. CCIW All-Conference First Teamer Fisher had a double double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

North Central's top scorer was Matt Helwig with 18 points followed by Cupples and Blaise Meredith each with 17.

North Central is now 16-9 and advances to the CCIW Tournament Semifinals on Friday to face the top seeded Illinois Wesleyan Titans.