Marietta runs the same offensive system popularized by Paul Westhead and the Loyola Marymount University Lions of the late 1980s, and more recently David Arseneault and Grinnell College (Iowa). Defensively, it features end-to-end, full-court pressure with traps. Offensively, the goal is to get up as many three-pointers as possible in as little time as possible. Five-man player substitutions check in every two minutes.
The Cardinals (1-0) got caught up in the run-and-gun early, as Marietta trailed only 26-20 with 10 minutes to go after a layup by Adam Rockhold. However, North Central started to make the extra pass and didn't take the first open look it got. The team took a 54-30 lead with three minutes to go in the half after sophomore Ray Vicario (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) scored on a layup. For the first half, the Cardinals had 30 of their 63 points on layups and led 63-37.
The second half feature more of the same and North Central finished the game shooting 64 percent from the field. Junior Mike Wilson (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) led all scorers with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. Senior Dan Doyle (Wheaton, Ill./Glenbard West) added a career-high 22 points. Junior Adam Teising (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) and sophomore Daniel Walton (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) had 15 points apiece, and Walton also added eight rebounds and five assists.
Marietta (0-1) was led by Craig Stewart's 16 points. Chris Fulton and Matthew Rucker chipped in 10 apiece.