MINNEAPOLIS – The North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team welcomed the Warriors of Waldorf University (WU) on Friday night in an NCAA-NAIA cross divisional matchup. In a contest that did not see a lead change from halfway through the first quarter, the Rams took command throughout the majority of the game to knock off the Warriors by a final score of 65-48.

Game Recap

The Blue and Gold fired on all cylinders on Friday night. In a matchup with plenty of Rams putting up fantastic individual efforts, they were able to dictate the pace for almost the entire 40 minutes. In the first half, NCU immediately started dominating in multiple facets of the game. The Rams found great success in rebounding and getting out on fast breaks to slow down the Warriors' defense and their own offensive attack. As the Rams continued to press forward, they started to heat up and find the bottom of the net on their transitional threes. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Warriors attempted to make a comeback by cutting the Rams' lead to a 10 points. With this being said, the Rams' showed resilience at this time and refused to let the Warriors back into the game. NCU showcased a few crucial defensive stops that led to knocking down late threes. With the Rams now synchronizing well on both ends of the floor, it is going to be telling what this group is going to be able to accomplish in the final weeks leading up to UMAC play.

Key Performer(s)

• Emily DiGiorgio had a career night for the Rams. The two-sport dynamic athlete (basketball and volleyball) found tremendous success in the post as she recorded the Rams' first double-double of the season with 18 points (8-16 shooting) and 13 rebounds.
• Freshman guard Jocelyn Talso dialed in a couple threes late in the game during a key momentum shift. Talso is going to serve as a key piece to the Rams' offense with her sharpshooting abilities beyond the arc.

Looking Ahead

As the women's basketball team now moves onto a 2-3 overall record on the season, they will look to build off their well-earned momentum heading into their next game. Looking forward, the NCU women's basketball team will now embark on a two-week long span of road trips, as they won't return back to their home floor until December 7th where they will face the University of Wisconsin, Superior in their second UMAC contest of the season. Next Tuesday, the Blue and Gold will travel to Fayette, IA to take on the NCAA Division II-affiliated Upper Iowa Peacocks in an exhibition game. Tip-off for another Rams' cross-divisional matchup is set for 6:00p.m.