MINNEAPOLIS – The North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team hosted the 3-5 (UMAC) College of St. Scholastica Saints on Wednesday night. In a tight 40-minute battle, the Saints pulled off an upset and knocked the Rams off by a final score of 77-66.
 
Game Recap
 
The Rams came into the night seeking a fourth straight win and their best overall UMAC record in program history, but came up short. Early on, it was Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) who sparked the Rams to jump out to a quick 10-2 lead with a few baskets in the post. Eventually, the Saints started to get going on the offensive side and get back to within two points at the end of the first quarter. Halfway through the second quarter, the Rams showcased stellar defense and held the Saints to 0-6 shooting from three and 20% from the field over a five-minute stretch. This guided the Rams holding a tight lead at the half 35-29.
 
The Saints jumped out to a hot start in the second half by causing a handful of NCU turnovers and finding 21 total offensive rebounds for the contest. In the first few minutes of the third quarter, CSS put together an impressive run until the 7:30 mark by snatching the lead back with a couple threes. After each team swapped leads, the Blue and Gold scratched their way back to a two-point lead with 1:20 left from multiple Kadija Conteh (London, UK, City of London Academy) drives to the basket. The fourth quarter saw the Saints building their lead to 65-58 with 4:20 left in the game after the Rams' shooting started hit a dry-spell. The Rams attempted to fight their way back into the game but struggled to find their consistency behind the arc in the contest, (4-23 3FG). This resulted in the Saints holding onto the lead in the final minutes of action and ultimately taking the win.
 
Key Performer(s)

• Emily DiGiorgio led all scorers on both sides of the contest with 25 points while also pulling down 9 boards.
• Kadija Conteh netted 13 points and tallied 3 assists.

Looking Ahead

The women's basketball team now falls to a 9-9 record (5-4 UMAC), which is good enough for fifth place in the current conference standings. Looking ahead, NCU will make the short drive across the Twin Cities this upcoming Saturday and take on the University of Northwestern, St. Paul Eagles in anotherUMAC contest. Tip-off is slated for 4:45pm.