NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The North Central University (NCU) men's basketball team hit the road for their first game away from home of the 2019-2020 season. The Rams matched up with the Knights of Carleton College who were in action for their first time. The Knights had a height advantage across the board and they relied on their size all throughout the contest as they out rebounded NCU by an overwhelming margin. The Knights closed the first half on a 13-5 run and did not look back in the final 20 minutes as they knocked off the Rams by a score of 82-67

Game Recap
The Knights entered the contest with new faces up and down the lineup. Carleton only brought back three returners from last year, but their new freshman stepped up to the challenge in their first taste of collegiate action. Carleton broke out to an early 9-3 lead, forcing the Rams back on their heels. NCU did not fold early as they were quick to fight back and take a 12-11 lead. The two battled back and forth for much of the first half, but Carleton started to build a lead with just under 10 minutes to play in the first period. The Rams tried to build some momentum before the buzzer, but it was the Knights who drilled a heave from half court to steal the momentum as the two headed to the break. Out of the break, the Knights stuck to their game plan of getting inside the paint. Behind the play of freshman guard, Isaac Tessier, the Knights continued to pile on to their lead. Tessier paced the Knights with 27 points on the night, 23 of them coming in the second half. The Rams gave a late effort push, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit as they fell on the road to the Knights by a score of 82-67.

Key Performer(s)

• Justin Castro was steady once again for the Rams at the point guard position. The junior guard led the Rams in scoring with 16 while getting it done in a very efficient 6-9 from the field. 
• Jalen Dunlap was a spark off of the bench for the Rams. Dunlap made his presence felt as soon as he entered play on Tuesday night, knocking down a three-pointer in his first seconds of action en route to a 14 point outing, his career high as a Ram
• Seth Fuqua continued his impressive freshman start as he shot 3-6 from three and finished with 13 points on the night. 

Looking Ahead
The Rams will have their next two days off as they prepare to hit the road again on Friday night. NCU will matchup with another Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opponent, the Scots of Macalester college with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. The Rams will be looking to steal their first win of the season on the road on Friday night. 

Media: For further information, contact Mike Knipe at 612-343-3541 or email mjknipe@northcentral.edu.