MINNEAPOLIS-- North Central got in the win column on Saturday with a 77-60 victory over Finlandia University on Saturday night. The Rams rode a pair of great performances from their top two players and pulled away from the Lions in the second half for the victory.

North Central (5-11, 1-8 UMAC) trailed after a quarter but held the visiting Finlandia Lions to just eigh points in the second quarter to lead 34-27 at halftime. The Rams extended their lead over the next two quarters and finished off a gritty victory.

Neither team could gain much of an advantage in the first half but Finlandia did manage their largest advantage of the game at 15-7 about five minutes into the opening quarter. But NCU closed out the period on a 10-4 run and trailed just 19-17 after one. In the second quarter the Rams held the Lions to just three field goals and held Finlandia to .231 shooting while firing an efficient 6-12 themselves to earn the halftime lead.

In the third the Rams opened the quarter with a 10-2 run and led 44-29 with 6:44 left in the period. NCU led by as much as 48-31 before the Lions began a rally that got them within 52-43 with 1:50 to play in the same period. Senior Jamie High (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) scored the final five points of the quarter and NCU led by double-figures the rest of the way.

KEY SEQUENCE OF THE GAME

The Rams run to start the third quarter proved the biggest four minute segment of the game. Jamie High started the scoring with a pair of free throws that gave NCU a 36-27 lead 30 seconds into the period. After a Lions turnover, sophomore Marissa Kari (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) hit a three pointer that gave NCU it's first double-figure advantage.

Finlandia got the difference back to ten with a jumper on their next trip but the would go scoreless for more than two minutes and NCU got some free throws and another three pointer from Marissa Kari to creat at 44-29 lead. North Central controlled the tide from that point on to get the win.

KEY PERFORMANCES OF THE GAME

The Rams top two players were each dominant for stretches of the game. Sophmore Lizzy Swanson (Askov, Minn./East Central) posted 21 points in the first half on the way to a career best 32 points and 9 rebounds. 32 points represent the fourth best single game total in Rams history.

Jamie High was equally dominant in the second half posting 18 points and 12 rebounds over the third and fourth quarter on the way to a 24 point, 16 rebound performance with just one turnover.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Freshman Sydney Steele (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) also provided a spark for NCU with 11 points and 5 rebounds
• NCU outrebounded the Lions 42-35
• The Rams scorched the nets firing .500 (27-54) on the night
• North Central was just 3-16 from the three point line
• Finlandia shot nearly half their field goal attempts (67) from behind the three point line (32) but made just 8 from downtown (.250)

UP NEXT

North Central goes on the road for Upper Midwest Athletic Conference league games next week. Friday the Rams are at Crown College (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off before playing at The University of Minnesota-Morris (Morris, Minn.) at 5 p.m. on Saturday.