MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- The Rams made a hard run at getting their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference victory of the season but came up short versus Bethany Lutheran College at home on Friday night. North Central stayed within reach for most of the game but came ended on the losing end of a 68-61 final tally.

North Central (4-8, 0-2) was tied at 31-31 at the halftime break and each team exchanged shots through the first few minutes of the second stanza. NCU took a brief 41-39 lead at the 15-51 mark but that would be the final time they were in front as Bethany Lutheran (Mankato, Minn.) scored on their next possession and got a steal and lay-in to jump ahead for good.

The Vikings (3-10, 1-1) surged ahead by a 60-51 count at the 7:58 mark to equal their largest lead of the game but NCU answered by trimming the margin to 60-55 a bit more than 90 seconds later.

North Central was down 65-58 with 1:13 left in the contest but missed an open three pointer and despite getting the offensive rebound missed a second good look and that end up being the Rams final good chance to pull off the comeback.

The Rams got a balanced scoring effort led by junior Jorie Grenell (Lakeville, Minn./Spring Lake Park) scoring 14 points. Senior Elisabeth Trickey (Waseca, Minn./Waseca) added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 6 steals. 

Junior Emily Aleckson (Braham, Minn./Cambridge Christian) scored 11 points while junior Julia Skeesick (Andover, Minn./Chaska) scored 10 points with 5 assists and 4 steals.

The Rams will be back in action at home tomorrow with a 3 p.m. tip-off versus Martin Luther College (New Ulm, Minn.) at CLC Gymnasium. 

Rams fans can catch the full video replay of Friday's game by checking out this link: 

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/28411880