MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- You cannot keep a good team down but North Central University Men's Basketball found a way to stay in front of Bethany Lutheran College on the way to a 103-94 win at home on Friday night. The game featured NCU pushing out to a big lead several times and Bethany responding to get back in the contest. However North Central answered every BLC surge to earn their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference victory of the year.

North Central (7-6, 1-1) came into Friday's game after losing to Northwestern College (St. Paul, Minn.) on Tuesday night. It was the second time this season the Rams lost to the Eagles after being up at halftime with both losses coming by less than six points. Early on it looked like NCU was still stinging from that loss as the Rams found themselves down 19-12 at 12:34 of the first half. From that point NCU started to fight back and eventually took control with what proved to be a decisive first half run.

Bethany Lutheran (Mankato, Minn.) took the lead 22-19 on a driving lay-up at the 10:29 mark of the opening period. The next Rams possession sophomore Luke Chafin (Dayton, Ohio/Troy Christian) hit a three point shot to tie the game and begin a 15-0 North Central run that the Vikings were never fully able to overcome. NCU finished the half on a 28-8 push that earned them a 47-30 halftime cushion. 

As would be expected of a team that won the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Post-Season Tournament last season and returned many of its top players this year, the Vikings quickly set out to make up that cushion in the second 20 minutes. By the 14:08 mark NCU led just 54-48 and it felt like the vistors were about to take control. However, the Rams responded on their next three possessions and turned away BLC on the defensive end to take a 60-48 lead. 

The trend of Bethany Lutheran pushing and North Central answering remained until the final buzzer with NCU leading by as many as 18 but the Vikings could never get closer than 7 in a big Rams victory.

The Rams got huge nights from senior Nathan Roeder (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) who poured in a game high 34 points, and Luke Chafin who added a career best 25 points. Roeder was an efficient 11-17 from the floor and was 9-11 at the free throw line. Chafin was 7-11 from the floor and 10-13 from the line.

Junior Jordan Harrell (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) added 12 points and a team best 7 rebounds. Senior Dylan McKneely (Baton Rouge, La./Broadmoor) chipped in 11 points with 3 assists and just 1 turnover which was key in a game where the Vikings pressed and trapped for large chunks of the evening. 

The Rams will be back in action tomorrow evening with their third UMAC game of the year. NCU hosts Martin Luther College at 5 p.m.

To view the full video of Friday's game visit: 

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/28414362