Benedictine University men’s basketball shows perseverance against North Central
LISLE, Ill. (BVM) — Benedictine University suffered a close loss with North Central College during their most recent match, losing by a score of 65-62. The Eagles and Cardinals are known for having a local rivalry within the Naperville and Lisle area.
So far this season, the Eagles have only won one out of four games whereas the Cardinals have won three out of four games. Historically, the two teams have always stood neck-and-neck, with Benedictine University winning eight out of the past 19 games. During the teams’ most recent matchup in 2019, the Eagles won 56-49.
The Eagles started off strong with Nick Kosich scoring two points with a jump shot within the first minute of the game. Kosich, a notably consistent player, also played an important role by evening out the score during the 2019 game against the Eagles. The North Central Cardinals pulled themselves into the lead by end of the first half with a 9-0 run with less than 10 minutes left. Jeff Kratz shortened the gap between the two teams by scoring a 3-pointer and brought the score to 21-15 with six minutes remaining in the first half. By the end of the half, the Cardinals were winning 27-23.
At the start of the second half, Benedictine was able to put themselves only a point away from the Cardinals with a score of 30-29. Notable baskets came from Michael Johnson, Marvin Agwomoh, and Trevor Montiel. By the end of the second half, North Central continued to keep themselves ahead of the Eagles by a score of 54-52. In the last few moments of the game, the Eagles were given several opportunities to make shots, but fell short.
The Cardinals were able to maintain their lead through a game that saw seven ties and three lead changes. Though the Eagles worked hard to make sure the gap between themselves and the Cardinals wasn’t too large, they had to play catch up for most of the game. Additionally, they missed out on a few opportunities to score extra points and pull themselves ahead. By the end of the game, the Eagles had 27 bench points, 24 points in the paint, and six points off turnovers. The Cardinals had nine bench points, 20 points in the paint, and six points off turnovers as well.
The Eagles have had a tough season so far, only winning one out of their past four games. They started off the season winning against DePauw University, 73-71. Their losses have consistently been close matches with only a few points between them and the winning teams. In their matchup against Wheaton College, they played a close game, falling 82-80. That game was similar to this one against North Central and the team was only two points away from turning the game around.
Benedictine still has a chance to turn things around in its upcoming games. The Eagles will go up against Dominican University on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. CST.
