NAPERVILLE, IL - The Benedictine University men's basketball team rallied from down 14 points late to tie the game, but a buzzer-beater handed #12 North Central the win.
North Central 82, Benedictine 79
• Benedictine exploded out of the gates, using a 10-0 run to open a 12-4 lead
• Brayden Olson drained a three-pointer to put Benedictine in front with 15:18 remaining in the half
• Benedictine led for nearly the entire first half
• Another triple from Olson extended the lead to double figures at 25-15 with 8:40 left in the first
• Zach Gorney and
Kenny Bogus were perfect on free throw attempts to push the lead to 38-23 with 3:11 left
• North Central closed the half on a 15-2 run, drawing within 40-38 at the break
• The run continued into the second half, reaching 19-2 to open a 42-40 edge
• North Central attempted to pull away, leading by five before a back-and-forth series
• The hosts used a 9-0 spurt to grab a double-digit advantage and led by 14 at 74-60 with 4:49 to play
• Two free throws from Olson opened a frantic rally
• Still down by 10 with 3:07 left, Bogus buried a three and Gorney knocked down two free throws to pull within 76-71
• Using a stifling press, Benedictine kept attacking and creating free throw chances
• The team converted on 7-of-8 free throws to tie the game with just 16 seconds left when
Kejuan Glosson converted on a pair
• North Central came down and sank home a three just before the horn to save the win
• Both teams shot 50 percent or better in the second half
• Benedictine finished the game at 47.9 percent while making 10 three-pointers and finishing 23-for-28 from the line
• North Central held a 29-25 edge on the glass in a game that featured eight ties and 10 lead changes
• Olson finished with a career high 32 points, two better than a 30-point showing at Rockford on January 25, 2017
• Bogus finished with 13 and six boards
• Gorney tallied 11 as Benedictine used only eight players
Benedictine (0-3) opens conference play on Saturday afternoon against Marian University in the home opener.
