ELMHURST, Ill. - The Elmhurst University men's basketball team dropped a hard-fought matchup to Carthage, 75,71, Wednesday evening inside R.A. Faganel Hall.

Elmhurst fell to 6-8 overall, and 2-3 in CCIW action, while Carthage improved to 9-4 and 3-1 in conference action.

Tagen Pearson led Elmhurst's offense with 17 points, including three three-pointers and six free throws. Jack Cherry contributed 14 points and 8 rebounds, while Dominic Trelenberg added 14 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, delivering critical buckets to keep the Bluejays in contention. Aidyn Boone was a force on the boards, securing 11 rebounds while chipping in 11 points for a double-double, adding to Elmhurst's interior presence.

Carthage shot 36.4% from the field (20-of-55), while Elmhurst slightly outpaced them at 38.9% (21-of-54). From beyond the arc, Carthage sank 9-of-30 attempts (30%), compared to Elmhurst's 7-of-27 (25.9%). Free throws were a pivotal factor, with Carthage converting an impressive 26-of-27 (96.3%) compared to Elmhurst's 22-of-32 (68.8%). On the boards, Elmhurst held a slight advantage, grabbing 38 rebounds to Carthage's 33. Both teams committed 7 turnovers, but Carthage's ability to score 8 points off turnovers proved crucial.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Elmhurst started strong, with Pearson hitting a jumper at 19:31 to score the first points. At 17:37, Trelenberg extended Elmhurst's lead to 4-0 with a smooth jumper, followed by another at 17:02 to make it 6-0. Carthage got on the board at 16:33 when Ryan Johnson scored a layup to cut the deficit to 6-2.

Elmhurst began to pull away, starting with Pearson's three-pointer at 15:50, assisted by Sebastian Blachut, to make it 9-2. Trelenberg added another layup at 15:16 to push the lead to 11-2. Pearson continued his hot streak, hitting another three-pointer at 14:40, extending Elmhurst's advantage to 14-3.

Carthage fought back with AJ Williams hitting a free throw at 14:27 and Riley Brooks assisting Ryan Johnson on a layup at 13:56, narrowing the score to 17-7. Carthage gained momentum in the closing minutes, thanks to Colton Sigel, who hit back-to-back three-pointers, including one at 6:29 to bring the score to 25-16. At 4:35, Sigel hit another three-pointer and converted a free throw, cutting Elmhurst's lead to 29-24.

Elmhurst responded with Cherry scoring a layup at 2:23 to make it 32-29. However, Carthage surged ahead, led by Ryan Johnson, who hit a crucial three-pointer at 2:10 to tie the game at 32-32. Johnson then made key free throws at 1:30 and 0:27, putting Carthage ahead 36-32. Elmhurst managed two late free throws by Pearson at 0:01 to close the half at Carthage 36, Elmhurst 34.

Carthage started the second half strong with Griffin Daun scoring a layup at 19:31, giving Carthage a 38-36 lead. Elmhurst responded quickly with Blachut tying the game at 36 with a layup. Carthage's Ryan Johnson scored two free throws at 18:21, extending the lead to 40-36. Both teams struggled to convert on several possessions, but Daun added a three-pointer at 17:29 to widen Carthage's lead to 43-36. Elmhurst fought back with free throws from Blachut and Dominic Trelenberg, narrowing the gap to 45-39.

Carthage continued to maintain control as Daun scored another three-pointer and Ryan Johnson added a layup, pushing their lead to 50-41 by the 13-minute mark. Elmhurst then mounted a strong comeback, with Boone's three-pointer at 11:01, followed by Cherry's fastbreak layup and another Boone three-pointer, helped Elmhurst close the gap to 52-51. Elmhurst gained momentum with Pearson's three-pointer at 9:46, and Vinnie Adjahoungbeta's layup at 9:07 pushed Elmhurst ahead 56-52.

As the game progressed, both teams traded points. Johnson's free throws and a layup at 2:00 brought Carthage within one point, trailing 67-66. Elmhurst held a slight edge until Johnson's layup at 34 seconds gave Carthage a 68-67 lead. Despite Elmhurst's efforts, Johnson extended Carthage's lead with crucial free throws in the final seconds, securing a 73-70 advantage. Cherry added late free throws, but Carthage's AJ Williams sealed the victory with free throws, ending the game with a 75-71 win.

UP NEXT

Elmhurst has the weekend off and will take on Carroll University on the road next Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 7:00pm in Waukesha, Wis.

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