WATERTOWN, Wis.-- Going on the road is never easy but traveling six hours to take on the defending national champion represents a specific challenge. On Thursday night Women's Basketball was able to keep things close in the first 20 minutes before pulling ahead midway through the second period to earn a 67-54 win over Maranatha Baptist Bible College.

North Central (1-2, 0-0) traveled to Wisconsin after dropping both of their games at last weekend's University of Northwestern Tip-off Tournament in St. Paul. The Rams set up to face off with Maranatha Baptist a year after the Crusaders claimed the 2013 NCCAA Division II National Championship. In the national tournament NCU was dispatched by a talented MBBC team in the opening round of the event by a dominant 84-45 final. While Maranatha did lose several of the best players in the nation off that championship team, North Central knew this would be a test of where they stand against one of the better programs in NCCAA women's hoops.

Maranatha would show its ability by leading by as many as nine points at the 12:24 mark of the first half in a game with six ties and 12 lead changes. But NCU stayed within firing distance to trail just 28-27 at the half. It did not take long for the Rams to assert themselves in the second half.

Senior Emily Aleckson (Braham, Minn./Cambridge Christian) hit a jumper to give the Rams their first lead of the second half at the 19:12 mark. The lead changed hands several times over the next few minutes before sophomore Shelby Norman (Winsted, Minn./Watertown-Meyer) hit a jumper to make it 42-40 in favor of NCU at 12:46 remaining in the game. North Central would not trail again.

North Central would lead by as many as 16 points in the second half before earning the final 13 point margin of victory. The game was evenly played with NCU shooting a slightly higher percentage from the floor (.381 to .328) on three more made baskets. But the Crusaders hit five three pointers while the Rams struggled from behind the arc going just 2-18. But despite being pounded on the glass by a 52-34 difference NCU earned their win at the line going 17-21 while Maranatha was 7-10.

North Central was lead in scoring by sophomore Jamie High (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) who poured in a game high 23 points to go with six boards and three steals with just two turnovers. High is averaging 19 points and 12 boards a game through the first three contests of the season.

Senior Jorie Grenell (Lakeville, Minn./Spring Lake Park) scored 16 points. Shelby Norman added 12 points and 5 rebounds. Emily Aleckson added six points and a team high nine boards. Senior point guard Julia Skeesick (Victoria, Minn./Chaska) scored eight points with a game high 10 assists.

North Central is off on Friday before continuing their road trip to Chicago where they will take on Moody Bible Institute (Chicago, Ill.). NCU is scheduled to tip versus Moody at 4 p.m. Saturday evening.