ASHLAND, Wis. -- North Central University (NCU) women's basketball matched up with the Lumberjills of Northland College on Wednesday evening. The Rams found themselves in another must-win situation with their playoff hopes on the line. In a contest that was tight from start to finish, the Rams made some huge plays in the 4^th quarter to narrowly edge Northland by a score of 85-80.

Game Recap

Following a tight first five minutes of the 1^st quarter, the Rams started to settle in offensively. NCU clung to a 7-point lead at the end of quarter number one and added one more point to their lead as the two headed to the break. Northland came out of halftime looking to flip the script on Rams and found success in the early going. The Lumberjills out-shot the Rams in the third quarter connecting on 47% of their field goals while the Rams mustered up just over 22% on their shot attempts. The offensive performance in quarter number three fueled a 9-point comeback and found themselves with the lead heading into the final quarter. Emily DiGiorgio poured in seven points in the final quarter including a dagger at the end to push the Ram's lead to 5 to close out the contest.  DiGiorgio was impressive all night long as she registered another double-double, finishing with 34 points and 14 rebounds in their big 85-80 road victory. 

Key Performer(s)

Emily DiGiorgio – 34 points (11-16), 14 rebounds
Naomi Hagstrom – 23 points, 7 rebounds
Allison Bulthuis – 13 points, 8 rebounds 


Looking Ahead

The Rams close the season at home as they control their own postseason fate. The Rams still have opportunity to clinch a postseason berth with a loss on Saturday, but with a victory at home on Saturday afternoon the Rams will clinch the 5^th seed in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) playoffs. Tip-off for the marquee match up is set for 4:45 p.m.