MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- Women's Basketball closed their fall semester schedule with a home victory on Saturday afternoon. The Rams trailed only one time, briefly in the first half, but needed some late energy to pull away for a 61-47 victory over Maranatha Baptist University.

North Central (4-5, 0-0 UMAC) trailed, 4-3, about three minutes into the game but retook the lead 60 seconds later and never trailed again. The Rams and Maranatha Baptist (Watertown, Wis.) were tied up at several points in the first half before NCU was able to establish a two-posession lead that stood at 32-26 at the break.

The Rams were able to keep the Sabercats to just .250 (8-32) shooting in the second half and pushed lead to double figures at 49-39 on an old fashion three point play from senior Shelby Norman (Winsted, Minn./Watertown-Mayer) with 8:52 remaining. Maranatha cut it back to eight on the next posession but freshman Lizzy Swanson (Askov, Minn./East Central) answered right back with a lay-up that returned the difference to 10 at 7:51 left.

The two teams were scoreless for about 3:30 of the last 6 minutes and another lay-up from Lizzy Swanson on a nice pass from Shelby Norman re-established a 10 point difference that would remain double-figures the rest of the way.

Lizzy Swanson tallied a game-high 24 points with 5 boards and 4 assists. Saturday was the fourth time in the first nine games of her NCU career that Swanson has posted 20 or more points.

Junior Jamie High (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) posted her sixth straight double-double game with 16 points and 12 boards. She is currently averaging more than 15 points and over 11 rebounds per game. Shelby Norman and freshman Marissa Kari (/Chisago Lakes) each added 9 points.

The Rams are now off for Christmas Vacation. They will return to action on Saturday, January 10 when they open Upper Midwest Athletic Conference action at The University of Northwestern (St. Paul, Minn.). That game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. tip-off.