The Carthage College men's basketball team (6-4, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) opened play in the California Lutheran University "Thrivent Financial" Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 29 with a 76-48 win over Geneva College (3-7) at the Gilberts Sports & Fitness Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif.  Washington College (Md., 6-5) defeated the host-Kingsmen (3-5), 75-67, in the other first-round game.  Geneva will play California Lutheran in the Friday, Dec. 30 consolation game at 6 p.m., PST, with Carthage taking on Washington (Md.) in the 8 p.m., PST title game.

Carthage took a 9-6 lead at 11:16 first half and never looked back.  The Red Men built a 22-point lead late in the period, 37-15, with 50 seconds to go and led by 18 at the break, 37-19.  The margin got as big as 34 points in the second period, 70-36, as Carthage cruised to a 28-point victory, 76-48.

Carthage shot 49 percent (33-67), including seven-of-20 from three-point range, while Geneva shot just 26 percent (17-65), including 18 percent in the first half (6-34).  The Red Men out-rebounded the Golden Tornadoes, 48-43.  Three Red Men scored in double figures.  Mitch Thompson (Jr., Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) had a game-high 23 points on 11-of-14 field goals and one-of-six free throws, along with six rebounds and two blocked shots.  Malcom Kelly (Jr., Kenosha, Wis./Reuther) scored 17 points on seven-of-15 shooting, including three-of-eight from three-point range, along with four rebounds, while Reese Herth (Fr., Morton Grove, Ill./Skokie-Niles West) came off the bench to add 12 points and four assists in 15 minutes of play.  Lambros Svingos and Matt Lorello had 12 points and nine rebounds each for Geneva, while Dave Phillips chipped in 12 points.