MINNEAPOLIS -- The North Central University (NCU) men's basketball team hosted the Raiders of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) on Saturday evening in the final showdown of the NACC-UMAC cross conference series. Although the Rams managed a surge of three point scoring late in the game, the valiant effort was not enough, as the Raiders slipped by the Rams in an incredibly close contest, 81-75.

Game Recap

The former NACC champs out of Milwaukee, WI managed to control the pace for the majority of the game. Coming out of the gate, the Rams and Raiders were exhanching leads with one another until MSOE hit their grove of working a high-low game. The Raiders showcased incredible depth at each position, along with a great ability to rotate their height around to multiple positions on the floor. This allowed them to have their way over the Rams on the glass, which ultimately led them out onto fast breaks. With the Rams unable to find a defensive scheme to slow the Raiders down, the Rams headed into halftime with over 21 point deficit. Although the first half did not go the way the Rams had hoped, the last 7 minutes of the second half spoke much differently. As the Rams started a full-court press and harassed the backcourt of the Raiders, NCU found great success by poking the ball away a few times. After doing so and hitting crucial shots, the Rams put themselves in a position to chip away at MSOE's monstrous lead. Although a valiant effort, the Blue and Gold eventually did not have enough time on the clock to complete a comeback from the assurgance. From a viewer's perspective, if the Rams had just a couple more minutes left to work with, they were well on their way to completing an exceptional comeback after being down 70-44 at one point in the second half. If anything, this shows that the Rams have tremendous heart, and are willing to play with anyone they face regardless of the opponent and their first half woes.

Key Performer(s)

• Justin Castro stuffed the stat sheet this evening across multiple areas. Castro put up 16 points, grabbed 6 boards, and dished out 4 assists to showcase the versatility he brings to the Rams' backcourt.
• Seth Fuqua recorded 15 points, but truly made his presence felt from the defensive side. Fuqua sparked the Rams to their late-game effort by managing 4 steals, and knocking down a couple threes on key transitional fast breaks.

Looking Ahead

As the Rams look ahead to their schedule next week, they will hit the road for the first time to take on the MIAC-affiliate, Carleton College Knights. With this being their third game of the season, the Rams will fight their way into the win colum for the first time of their 2019-20 campaign. The game is set for Tuesday, November 12, with tip-off slated at 7:00p.m.