The Carthage College men's basketball team (7-4, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) won its third game this season against a top-25 team with a 61-58 decision over No. 22 Eastern Connecticut State University (7-3) on the final day of the Buffalo State College "Athletic Connections Orlando Holiday Classic" at the Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex in Orlando, Fla. Earlier this season, Carthage knocked off No. 4 Washington University (Mo.) and No. 9 Calvin College.
On Friday, Dec. 20, on the first day of the holiday tournament, the Red Men fell to Buffalo State (5-3), 67-65, with No. 39 North Central College (7-2) getting by Eastern Connecticut State (7-2), 70-69, in overtime. In the tournament's final game on Dec. 21, Buffalo State (6-3) defeated North Central (Ill., 7-3), 80-72.
After falling behind, 9-8, in the early going, Carthage took off on an 18-2 run to take 15-point lead, 26-11, at 7:41. Eastern Connecticut switched to a pressing defense that bothered the Red Men in Friday's 67-65 loss to Buffalo State. The press got the Warriors back into the game, 26-20, at 2:58, and the Red Men led by six at halftime, 28-22. A 9-0 run to open the second half gave Carthage a 13-point lead, 37-22, at 15:22. Once again, the press got Eastern Connecticut back into the game, closing to within five, 43-38, at 9:33 to cap a 16-6 Warriors run. Eastern Connecticut made it a four-point game, 45-41, at 8:15. before Carthage went back up by eight, 49-41, at 7:15.
A three-pointer by Brian Salzillo at 1:49 brought the Warriors within three points, 52-49, but a three-point play by Malcom Kelly at 1:39 and a pair of Kelly free throws at 1:02 restored an eight-point Red Men lead, 57-49. Carthage was leading by five, 60-55, when Malcom Kelly was charged with a foul on an attempt to block a three-pointer by Trachone Preston. Preston converted all three free throws with six seconds to go, and the lead was down to two points, 60-58. Kelly was fouled on the next Carthage possession and made the second of two free throws for a 61-58 lead. Following a Red Men time out, Salzillo missed a three-pointer at the buzzer, and Carthage escaped with a three-point win.
The Red Men shot 43 percent (20-47), including just three-of-11 three-pointers, while Warriors shot 39 percent (21-54), including five-of-19 from three-point range. Carthage got to the free-throw line 25 times and made 18, while Eastern Connecticut State hit 11-of-16. The Warriors out-rebounded the Red Men, 37-30.
Marlon Senior (Sr., Skokie, Ill./Niles North) led the Red Men with 18 points on five-of-11 field goals and eight-of-11 free throws, along with six rebounds. Malcom Kelly (Sr., Kenosha, Wis./Reuther) scored 15 points on four-of-six shooting and six-of-eight free throws, and Cameron Van Wyk (Jr., Wassenaar, Netherlands) added a career-high 14 points on seven-of-11 field goals.
Mike Kastel (Jr., St. Charles, Ill./Exeter (N.H.) Academy) missed the game with a groin injury suffered in pre-game warm-ups, and point guard Donte Logan (Jr., Evanston, Ill./Skokie-Niles West) twisted an ankle in the second half and did not score. Brian Salzillo led the Warriors with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-18 field goals, including three-of-nine from three-point range.
"We made an adjustment to the press after last night," said Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic. "The press was an irritant in this game but not the difference like it was against Buffalo State. We got off to a good start, and that was a key, never playing from behind. We got nice offensive movement on a couple of occasions. Cameron Van Wyk has become a really good facilitator. He gets to the rim, but more importantly, he is arguably the best runner of our offense. For them, Brian Salzillo is a wonderful player and exactly what you should aspire to be as a senior. Rarely do you find somebody with his strength level who can make his variety of shots."
The tournament concluded the Red Men's non-conference slate. Carthage opens its CCIW-schedule on Saturday, Jan. 4 by traveling to Rock Island, Ill., to take on No. 13 Augustana College (Ill.) in a 7 p.m. game at the Roy J. Carver Physical Education Center.
"I'm not sure that 10 of our next 14 games won't look like these last two," said Djurickovic. "I'm not necessarily talking about style of play, but about ebb and flow, competitiveness and games decided within five or six points. I like the idea of starting the conference season on the road, because in this league, you're not expected to do well on the road—it gives you a cushion. Augustana is playing great right now. We'll just have to see what we can get done."