The North Central College men's basketball team will enter the postseason with a surge in momentum after recording a thrilling win in its regular-season finale on Tuesday, as the fifth-ranked Cardinals emerged down the home stretch and knocked off the third-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University Titans, 87-83, in overtime at Gregory Arena.

The win keeps the Cardinals (22-3, 11-3 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) perfect in home games at 13-0 this season, and North Central has now won 16 consecutive games on its home floor dating back to last season. The Titans (21-4, 13-1 CCIW), meanwhile, were denied in their attempt to become the first CCIW team in 40 years to run through conference play undefeated.

The game was a back-and-forth affair throughout the evening, as the Cardinals held an early 12-7 lead before IWU put together a 14-1 run and pulled ahead, 21-13, with 11:07 left in the first half. North Central's Vince Kmiec got a rally started for the home team with a pair of three-pointers, and the Cardinals wound up going on a 15-2 run to forge a 28-23 advantage with 6:53 on the clock.

North Central led until 3:18 remained before halftime, when Titan reserve post player Parker Musselman canned a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the score at 34-34. Derek Raridon sank a jumper on the next possession to provide a two-point lead for the Cardinals, but IWU's Pat Sodemann was fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three shots to nudge the visitors in front, 37-36. The Titans then got a jumper from Sodemann and a putback by Musselman to take a five-point lead before heading into halftime with a 44-41 edge.

Despite seeing the score tied five times in the second half, IWU did not trail for the first 17 minutes of the period. Trailing, 69-68, with just over three minutes left in regulation, the Cardinals finally took their first lead of the half as Aaron Tiknis found a cutting Raridon for a layup and a 70-69 lead. The Titans' Andrew Ziemnik scored inside on the next possession before North Central guard Pat Rourke was fouled near midcourt and sank both free throws to give the hosts a 72-71 edge with 1:40 left. 

With the shot clock winding down, Ziemnik launched a three-pointer which found the bottom of the net, giving the guests a 74-72 edge with just over a minute to play. Kmiec attempted a three-pointer which was off the mark, but Raridon came up with the rebound and the Cardinals went into the post to Landon Gamble, who was fouled and converted both free throws to knot the score once again with 26 seconds left. North Central successfully defended the Titans' final possession and went into overtime for the second time this season.

Tiknis opened the extra session with a three-pointer and the Cardinals remained in front until 3:13 remained, when IWU's Brady Zimmer sank two free throws. Gamble scored inside with 2:57 to play, but the score was tied once again with 1:50 left when IWU's Eric Dortsch made two charity shots. Tiknis found Gamble in the lane for another score to give North Central the lead once again, and Kmiec rebounded a missed three-point attempt by Ziemnik to give the Cardinals a chance to go up by two possessions.

Raridon was fouled and made both shots with 30 seconds left, and the Cardinals conceded a layup to Zimmer before getting two more free throws from Jack Merrithey with 17 seconds to go. IWU had two three-point shots on its final trip down the floor, but both shots were off the mark and the Titans absorbed their first loss since Dec. 30.

Kmiec scored a game-high 23 points, 17 of which came in the first half, for North Central while also grabbing a team-best six rebounds and playing all 45 minutes of the game. Gamble totaled 18 points, with 15 coming after halftime, and blocked three shots, while Raridon scored 17 poins and Charlie Rosenberg added 10. North Central made 4 of 5 field goals and limited the Titans to 2 of 7 shooting in the overtime period. 

Zimmer paced IWU with 16 points off the bench, while Ziemnik and Dylan Overstreet each scored 13. The Titans outrebounded North Central, 41-31, but the Cardinals turned the ball over just seven times and scored 22 points off of 16 IWU miscues.

North Central, which has tied the program's record for victories in a single season, moves on to this weekend's CCIW Tournament at Illinois Wesleyan. The Cardinals will take on 20th-ranked Wheaton College (20-5, 10-4) in Friday's semifinal round, with tipoff at the Shirk Center scheduled for 5 p.m.