MINNEAPOLIS – With their first win of the 2019-20 season now under their belts from this past weekend, the North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team looked to build off their momentum coming into tonight's contest against the Hamline University (HU) Pipers. Although the Rams were able to enjoy being back on their home floor on Tuesday night, the Pipers found a way to come out on top against the Rams by a final score of 77-60.

Game Recap

From the opening-tip, Hamline showed a full-court man-to-man press that pressured the backcourt for the Rams and eventually led to turnovers. As the Blue and Gold were able to settle into a groove offensively and break the Pipers' press, they began to generate some noise as they ended up clawing their way back to a respectable 23-15 deficit heading into the second quarter. Through the second half, the Rams managed to keep pace with the Pipers and find ways through their impressive defense. With roughly 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter, NCU cut Hamline's lead to only 8 points, but couldn't capitalize on their late-game opportunities. The Pipers eventually were able to slowly but surely come away with the victory through the last few minutes of hard-fought action. Although the Rams did not come away with the victory, multiple Rams were able to stuff the stat sheets and show what they're capable of against a competitive MIAC school.

Key Performer(s)

• Kadija Conteh was stellar in her first big performance as a Ram. The sophomore guard out of the City of London Academy shot 54% from the field en route to 16 total points, 5 rebounds and even a pair of assists.
• Bethany Shield knocked down a couple of threes to end with 8 total points and 6 rebounds.

Looking Ahead

With the Rams now sitting at an overall record of 1-3 on the season, they will search for a bounce back victory in their next matchup. NCU will enjoy continuing their homestand as they will play host to the Waldorf University Warriors this Friday night, with tip-off slated for 7:00p.m. Fans are encouraged to be plugged into all Rams social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook) for coverage regarding NCU women's basketball.