BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- The Vikings men's basketball team took on the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday evening, fighting to break a tie for 2^nd place on the CCIW leader board as both teams entered at 5-2 in conference play. After forty minutes, it was North Park emerging with a 74-70 victory to claim sole possession of 2^nd place—with the help of North Central's upset win over the other 5-2 CCIW team, Carthage.

A hot start from deep saw the Vikings go 8-15 from beyond the arc while holding the Titans to just 4 three-pointers on the same number of tries. Jalen Boyd, Kolden Vanlandingham, and Shamar Pumphrey all knocked down two looks each, with the group combining for 25 of the Vikings' 36 points in the 1^st half on the way to a 36-30 lead at the break. 

North Park continued to shoot the ball well from deep in the 2^nd half, but the Titans gradually chipped away with second-chance points and points off turnovers to take over the lead with just under 7 minutes left to play. They held on for a few minutes before Jalen Boyd sunk a clutch triple to re-establish a 66-63 Vikings lead. North Park's defense came up with stop after stop down the stretch to ensure their lead through the final whistle, with the victorious Vikings notching their first win in Bloomington since 2017. 

The Vikings were led in scoring by Jalen Boyd's 22, with Kolden Vanlandingham, Shamar Pumphrey, and Jordan Boyd also reaching double-figures. Alongside Pumphrey's 13 points, he led North Park with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. 

What's Next?

After getting some help from them to gain possession of 2^nd place, the Vikings host North Central on Saturday at 4:15 P.M., following a likewise matchup between the two schools' women's sides.