MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- North Central University Men's Basketball is finding the second half of their Upper Midwest Athletic Conference schedule unfriendly after they dropped their second straight league game at home on Friday night. After losing at home on Tuesday NCU was defeated 86-70 by the University of Minnesota-Morris and dropped two in a row in UMAC play for the first time this season.

After building a 29-17 lead with 8:09 left in the first half North Central (11-8, 6-3) seemed to take control of the game. Instead The University of Minnesota-Morris (Morris, Minn.) answered with a surge of their own to take a 39-36 lead on back-to-back three point shots at 2:01 of the first half. The Cougars (9-10, 5-4) would go on to take a 44-38 lead to the locker room.

North Central was able to get within 46-43 just over two minutes into the second half on a three-point basket from senior Nathan Roeder (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) at 18:02 left in the game. But Morris responded by going on an 8-2 run to get their lead back to 54-45 at 14:27 to play.

The Rams would get to within 69-64 on a lay-up by junior Jordan Harrell (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) with 5:14 remaining. However that would be as close as NCU could get and Morris sent North Central to just their third UMAC loss of the season.

Nathan Roeder and Jordan Harrell each scored 15 points with Harrell grabbing 5 rebounds and blocking 3 shots.

Sophomore Luke Chafin (Dayton, Ohio/Troy Christian) added 14 points. Junior Bryce Burkman (Winsted, Minn./Maple Grove) equalled a game high 8 rebounds dispite playing just 22 mintues with foul trouble.

The Rams will be back in action tomorrow at 5 p.m. with a match-up versus Crown College (St. Bonifacius, Minn.). NCU defeated the Storm on the road on January 18 by a 74-67 final score.