In a "must-win" game, the Carthage College men's basketball team (10-10, 4-5 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to outlast CCIW-opponent North Park University (5-15, 1-8 CCIW), 87-80, on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at the North Park Gym in Chicago.

With five league games remaining, Carthage sits in a fifth-place tie with Elmhurst College, each at 4-5 and two games behind Augustana College (Ill.) and Illinois Wesleyan University at 6-3 each.  North Central College, with a 70-59 win over Elmhurst on Tuesday, is in first place at 8-1, and Wheaton College (Ill.), an 82-27 winner over Millikin University, is in second place with a 7-2 mark.

Carthage opened an early, 8-2 lead that North Park quickly tied up at 8-8.  The Red Men used a 12-3 run to open up a 20-11 lead at 11:33.  The Vikings came right back with an 18-8 run to take a one-point lead, 29-28, at 4:11.  After Carthage went back up, 31-29, at 3:53, North Park took a 33-31 advantage at 3:27 and built a six-point lead, 37-31, at 1:47.  The Vikings led by four at halftime, 41-37.  North Park upped its lead to 11 points, 54-43, at 14:33.  The Red Men came up with a 13-2 run to tie the game, 56-56, at 13:15.  Carthage was leading by five, 66-61, at 8:46 and went up by nine, 77-68, at 4:22.  The lead went to 10 points, 80-70, at 2:55, and the Red Men went on to win by seven, 87-80.

Carthage shot 49 percent (32-65), including nine-of-34 from three-point range, while North Park shot 44 percent (24-55), including 11-of-25 from three-point range.  The Red Men converted 14-of-18 from the free-throw line, while the Vikings went 21-of-24.  North Park won the rebounding battle, 37-31, but the Vikings turned the ball over 19 times to 10 for the Red Men. 

Carthage's Malcom Kelly (Jr., Kenosha, Wis./Reuther) scored a game-high 27 points on eight-of-14 field goals, including four-of-10 three-pointers, along with seven-of-eight from the free-throw line and a team-high eight rebounds.  Luke Johnson (Fr., Naperville, Ill./West Chicago-Wheaton Academy) scored 16 points on seven-of-11 shooting, along with 10 rebounds, six blocked shots and four assists.  Donte Logan (Fr., Evanston, Ill./Skokie-Niles West) had 13 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Mitch Thompson (Jr., Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) added 12 points with four boards and five assists.

Mark Holmes topped the Vikings with 24 points on six-of-13 shooting, including six-of-10 three-pointers, along with eight rebounds.  Emanuel Crosby had 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and Roshawn Russell added 17 points.

"We played better last Saturday against North Central but lost that game" said Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic.  "Tonight, we persevered.  Our defensive pressure was non-existent in the first half, but we played better in the second half.  Our pressure finally got to them in the second half.  Emanuel Crosby was a unique player for North Park tonight.  He'd get a shot blocked, then he would pick the ball up off the floor and lay it in.  You have to give him credit.  North Park is dangerous team with some good players.  We had the ball in the right hands way more often than not, and Donte Logan is getting better and better.  He has a chance to lead this time somewhere down the line.  For Luke Johnson, it has not been as seamless a transition as he would like, but his best basketball is far ahead of him.  Tonight, he was stellar."

The Red Men travel to Decatur, Ill., on Saturday, Feb. 4 to take on conference-opponent Millikin University (1-19, 0-9 CCIW) in a 4 p.m. game at the Griswold Center.