LISLE, Ill. - The Benedictine University men's basketball team gave fourth ranked North Central College all it could handle, battling the Cardinals to their closest game of the season before falling 61-55 on Saturday evening at the Rice Center.

The contest opened tight with four ties and three lead changes in the opening six minutes. Trailing 11-9, Benedictine embarked on a 12-2 run ignited by a Michael Woolf jumper to tie the game. The Eagles built and eight-point lead at 21-13 when Alex Edmondson buried a three to cap the run with 8:48 to play in the first half.

North Central, plagued by foul trouble for its top two scorers most of the game, closed the half on a run of 8-0, sparked by a pair of three-pointers, to turn a 26-25 deficit with 2:30 left in the half to a 33-26 lead at the break. The Cardinals outscored Benedictine 20-5 from the 8:48 marker onward and hit five treys in the first half.

The visitors scored the first four points of the second half to open a 37-26 lead with 16:54 remaining in the contest. Benedictine sliced the lead to four points at 42-38 when Shawn Soelter connected on a triple at the 12:28 mark. Jamison Montgomery's layup with 7:11 to play pulled the Eagles within 44-42 but a 9-1 run which included a pair of threes enabled North Central to again lead by 10 at 53-43.

Benedictine was within three points twice in the final 1:05 but North Central hit all six free throws to seal the game. The Eagles did not lead in the second half of action.

Woolf led Benedictine with 13 points while Montgomery added 11. Five players crossed into double figures for North Central (9-0), who was held to its second lowest scoring output of the season. The Cardinals retain the Battle of Maple/Chicago Avenue Trophy and held a 38-31 edge on the glass.

Benedictine (2-8) will have a pair of non-conference affairs next week before the holiday break. The Eagles travel to Knox on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m.