NEW ULM, Minn. -- North Central University women's basketball was back in action Wednesday night as they took on the Knights of Martin Luther College (MLC) in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (
UMAC) road matchup. With a playoff birth still largely in play for the Rams, the contest presented a huge opportunity to move towards a second straight
UMAC playoff birth. Behind the leadership of Head Coach
Paul Brunner, North Central didn't disappoint as they would win the crucial game by a final score of 72-58. The win moves NCU to an overall record of 10-12 (6-7 in conference).
Game Recap
Entering the game, North Central found themselves depending heavily on the dynamic duo of
Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) and
Naomi Hagstrom (Zimmerman, MN, Zimmerman High School), both of whom average over 14 points a game. Additionally,
DiGiorgio has chipped in nine rebounds per game while Hagstrom adds six rebounds and two assists a game. Martin Luther found out just how good these two players were as they both dominated from start to finish. DiGiorgio would produce a monster 24 point, 13 rebound game while Hagstrom poured in 18 points, 14 of which came in the first quarter on 6-6 shooting, while also grabbing six boards. Both players benefited tremendously from the excellent court vision and distribution from
Kadija Conteh as she handed out 10 assists on the evening.
In the game, North Central dominated from start to finish, never trailing the host school. The Rams shot a blistering 47.5% from the field while holding their opponents to meerly 24% shooting on the evening. It was evident from the opening tip that Coach Brunner had his team ready to play as they were relentlessly attacking on offense while forcing contested shot after contested shot. One area of focus for the Rams moving forward will be the need to finish off great defensive possessions with rebounds as they allowed 33 offensive rebounds on the evening which led to 19 second chance points.
When speaking to the Rams head coach, he stated, "Our team played really well in many facets of the game tonight. I thought our ability to travel, come into a hostile environment, and walk away with a conference win was a huge testament to the work these players have put in. We will continue working to improve one day at a time." Coach Brunner, who has led the team since taking the reigns during the 2015-2016 season, also picked up his 50th career win as the Rams head coach. Junior
Alice Cato stated, "Coach really works hard to prepare us for each game. Throughout the season, he continues to push us to never stop growing as a team." Brunner's team is coming off of its first UMAC playoff appearance last year and currently seeks a second straight run to the postseason.
Key Performers
Looking Ahead
The Rams face Crown College in a must win road game this Saturday in St. Bonifacius. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:45 p.m.
Media: For further information, contact
Mike Knipe at 612-343-3541 or email mjknipe@northcentral.edu.
