Box Score North Central 64, Illinois Wesleyan 58 (OT) - Box Score

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - For the second time in three nights, the Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team lost in overtime, falling on Monday, Feb. 14, by a 64-58 score at North Central in Naperville, Ill.

The Titans fall to 16-7 overall and 7-5 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin while the Cardinals improved to 13-10 overall and 9-3 in the league.

IWU is tied for third in the league with Carthage and Wheaton. Illinois Wesleyan will have its “Seniors' Night” game at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19 when it hosts North Park at the Shirk Center. IWU finishes by hosting Augustana on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Meanwhile, Carthage plays at North Park on Feb. 16 and hosts Millikin on Feb. 19 while Wheaton plays at Millikin on Feb. 16 and hosts Elmhurst on Feb. 19.

The Titans had a 23-12 lead after a Stephen Rudnicki 3-pointer with 10:03 to play in the first half but scored only two points (on a Doug Sexauer basket with 1:55 to go) the rest of the way as North Central outscored the Titans, 16-2, to take a 28-25 halftime lead.

The Titans also led 48-44 with 4:52 left in regulation before the Cardinals reeled off six straight to go ahead 50-48 on a Ryan Connolly bucket with 1:25 left. With 39 seconds remaining, Sexauer, who led IWU with 19 points, scored to put Illinois Wesleyan on top 52-50 but a basket by Brian Evans with 9 seconds left tied the game at 52-52 to force the overtime.

North Central's Landon Gamble scored the first five points of overtime before the Titans came back to score the next five and tie the score at 57-57. Another Gamble basket gave the Cardinals a 59-57 lead.

After a charging call against IWU, Evans made two free throws to give North Central a 61-57 lead with 20 seconds left. Kevin Gillespie made with 10 seconds left to provide the Cardinals with a 63-57 lead and they held on for the win.

Illinois Wesleyan made 21 of 50 from the field (42.0 percent) but connected on only three of 19 3-point field goal attempts (15.8 percent) and made 13 of 18 free throws (72.2 percent).

North Central outrebounded IWU, 36-28, as Sexauer led the team with seven boards and Gamble was the game leader for the Cardinals with 10.

The Cardinals shot 43.5 percent (20 of 46) from the field and made 22 of 31 free throws (71.0 percent). The Cardinals were also weak from 3-point range in the game, making only two of 11 (.182).

Eliud Gonzalez was the only other IWU player to score in double figures with 11.
Despite making only four of nine free throws, Gamble scored 16 points while Derek Raridon added 13 and Evans scored 12 for the Cardinals.