The Carthage College men's basketball team (6-3, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) outlasted Wisconsin-Platteville (7-3), 112-104 in double-overtime on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.
Wisconsin-Platteville opened up a 10-point lead late in the first half 35-25, at 5:46. The Red Men closed out the period with an 18-7 run to give them a one-point halftime lead, 43-42. Carthage led by seven points midway through the second period, 60-53, at 11:01 before Wisconsin-Platteville tied the game, 76-76, at 3:03. The Pioneers had an 82-80 lead with 40 seconds to go in regulation, but a pair of free throws by Reese Herth with 28 seconds to play to knotted things up, 82-82. The Red Men opened up a five-point lead in the first overtime, 87-82, at 3:40 but a three-pointer by the Pioneers' Jim Stocki with six seconds remaining tied things up at 95-95. In the second overtime, Carthage went up by seven, 106-99, at 1:34 and went on to win by eight points, 112-104.
The Red Men shot 46 percent (28-61), including 12-of-28 three-pointers, while the Pioneers shot 52 percent (35-67), including 15-of-31 from three-point range. Carthage got to the free-throw line 54 times, one short of a school record and made a school-record 44, breaking a mark of 37 free throws set against North Central College, in overtime, on Jan. 28, 2004. The Red Men out-rebounded the Pioneers, 42-33.
It was a big night for both players wearing No. 14. Wisconsin-Platteville's Boston Johnson (So., Oshkosh, Wis./North) scored a game-high 37 points, 15 in the first half, on 12-of-17 field goals, including five-of-nine three-pointers and eight-of-10 free throws. Carthage's No. 14, Reese Herth (Jr., Morton Grove, Ill./Skokie-Niles West), scored 14 first-half points en route to a career-high 28 points on six-of-12 shooting and 14-of-16 from the free-throw line.
Carthage's Kevin Sykes Jr. (Sr., Tinley Park, Ill./Frankfort—Lincoln-Way North) had career-high 25 points on six-of-13 field goals, all from three-point range and a perfect seven-of-seven from the free-throw line. Marlon Senior (Sr., Skokie, Ill./Niles North) scored 17 points with 12 rebounds, and Mike Kastel (Jr., St. Charles, Ill./Exeter, N.H., Academy) added 15 points and a game-high 13 boards. Malcom Kelly (Sr., Kenosha, Wis./Reuther) returned to the court for the first time since he was named first-team All-CCIW in 2011-12 and scored 11 points off the bench. Kelly was enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves for most of last season. Donte Logan (Jr., Evanston, Ill./Skokie-Niles West) had eight points and nine assists. For the Pioneers, Eric Gerber and Chas Cross each had 17 points.
"This was a fun game to be part of," said Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic, "especially because we won. "Wisconsin-Platteville has an excellent team, and they'll be one of the top teams in their league. They have depth and shoot the ball well. We're making solid progress, but we have still have some things to work on. However, Mike Kastel and Marlon Senior combining for 25 rebounds is a tone-setter for us. We have to be competitive on the boards every night. Getting Malcom Kelly back is a plus. He's a difference-maker, because he shoots the ball as well as anyone in our league. We've gone 6-3 so far against one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, it feels better going into the Florida game with that record, instead of 5-4."
Carthage travels to Orlando, Fla., on Friday-Saturday, Dec. 20-21 to play in the Buffalo State College "Athletic Connections Orlando Holiday Classic" at the Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex. Carthage plays Buffalo State (4-3) on Friday, Dec. 20 at 4 p.m., EST, followed by a Saturday, Dec. 21 contest against No. 26 Eastern Connecticut State University, beginning at 2 p.m., EST.