Making its debut in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play as well as taking the court as the nation's No. 1-ranked team for the first time, the North Central College men's basketball team kept its unblemished record intact with a 71-51 victory over Elmhurst College at R.A. Faganel Hall.

The Cardinals (12-0, 1-0 CCIW) tied the school record for the most consecutive wins to start a season on the same day they ascended to the top spot in D3hoops.com's NCAA Division III Top 25 poll. North Central's win was its seventh straight victory over the Bluejays.

Elmhurst led early as the Cardinals struggled to get untracked offensively and did not get their first made field goal until five minutes had elapsed. The Bluejays (4-8, 0-1) led by a 14-12 count with 9:11 left in the first half when North Central closed the half with the game's pivotal run, a 24-5 surge that left the visitors with a 37-19 advantage at halftime. 

The Cardinals took their first lead at 15-14 following two free throws from Brandon Williams, and a fast-break layup by Jack Burchett and a three-point play from Williams gave North Central some breathing room. The Cardinals limited Elmhurst to 1 of 11 shooting during the rally and scored the period's final 10 points. 

North Central led comfortably throughout the second half, pulling ahead by as many as 26 points and never seeing its advantage drop below 16 points. The Cardinals attempted a season-high 42 free throws and limited Elmhurst to 32.7 percent shooting (17-52) from the floor.

WIlliams paced North Central's efforts with a season-high 17 points, while Landon Gamble put up 13 points and Vince Kmiec scored 12. Jack Burchett tallied 11 points, a team-high seven rebounds, and three of the Cardinals' eight blocked shots, and Pat Rourke handed out five assists.

The Bluejays' led all scorers with 23 points and completed a double-double with 12 rebounds. 

North Central hosts eighth-ranked Wheaton College (10-2, 0-1) on Saturday at Gregory Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.