Elmhurst Overpowers North Park Vikings

CHICAGO, IL (February 3, 2005) - Cory Wilks scored 12 points, including 4-5 shots from 3-point range, but the North Park University (NPU) men's basketball team fell 66-65 to Elmhurst College Wednesday night at the North Park Gymnasium.

Je'Shawn Stevenson and Lamar Townsend added 11 points apiece for coach Paul Brenegan's team, which made a furious comeback from a 10-point deficit. Matt Lindahl of Grace Covenant Church in Iron River, Michigan, and Jay Alexander added eight points.

Elmhurst had taken a 58-48 lead with 5:18 left, but the Vikings had stayed close thanks to a trio of 3-point baskets by Wilks in the final minutes. Trailing 66-59, Stevenson made a 3-point basket with eight seconds left and then Wilks' final trey with .7 seconds left gave North Park one last chance to win the ballgame. However, after Mike Haehn stole the ensuing inbounds pass near half court he was unable to throw up a long shot as the buzzer sounded. Haehn paced the Vikings with nine rebounds while Townsend dished off six assists.

Townsend now has scored 992 points heading into Saturday's 7:30 p.m. College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) home game with Augustana College. He is 21st on the all-time scoring list. North Park fell to 4-14, 0-7 in CCIW play despite making 13 of 21 shots from 3-point range. Along with Wilks' strong shooting, Haehn and Alexander each made 2 of 3 long-range shots.

Elmhurst moved to 11-6, 3-3 in conference on the strength of 19 points by Chris Martin and 18 points by David Gershenzon. Martin had 17 of his points in the second half and paced the Bluejays with 10 rebounds.

A 3-point basket by Eric Samuelson with 13:41 left gave North Park its final lead of the game, 36-35, before the Bluejays ran off the next seven points to move ahead 42-36. A Wilks 3-point field goal with 8:56 remaining pulled North Park to within 46-44 but Elmhurst spurted ahead 58-48 on a Gershenzon 3-point basket moments later, setting up a wild finish. The initial portion of Wednesday's game was close throughout as no team led by more than five points during the opening 20 minutes. In fact, there were 10 lead changes and four ties before Elmhurst scored the final basket before intermission to lead 24-22.

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