MORRIS, Minn. - North Central University (NCU) women's basketball hit the road tonight in the opening round of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) playoffs against the fourth seeded Cougars of the University of Minnesota-Morris (UMM). Fresh off of a regular season ending loss to the Cougars, North Central was poised for a comeback as they searched for their first playoff win in school history. While some may have counted the Rams out based on the previous two matchups, both losses to UMM, head coach
Paul Brunner had his team ready to roll from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Despite a tremendous effort from the Rams, NCU would ultimately fall in a nail biter by a final score of 69-65.
Game Recap
The Blue and Gold knew that the matchup would require the ultimate effort in all phases of the game as they entered the evening contest. During the first quarter of play, NCU showed tremendous energy while holding their opponents to only 14 points. While the defensive intensity was evident, so too were early game jitters as the Rams would only connect on two shots and a free throw during the quarter to leave themselves with seven points. During the first quarter defensive struggle, the Rams saw a precursor of what was to come when Kadijah Conteh hit a three-point shot to kick off her 15 points on the evening. In addition to Conteh's early game rhythm, NCU was dominant on the glass as
Emily DiGiorgio chipped in six of her game high 12 rebounds.
After a slow start, North Central's head coach
Paul Brunner made a fantastic adjustment in the second quarter which led to an efficient 19 points for the visitors. Shot selection in the second quarter became a point of emphasis from the opening inbounds as
Naomi Hagstrom took charge early on a fabulous spin move in the lane that resulted in an easy layup. Hagstrom's moves wouldn't end their though as later in the quarter she made an equally impressive post move that showed why she was voted the UMAC Newcomer of the Year last season. Adding to Hagstrom's efforts, NCU found Conteh and DiGiorgio playing with ultimate confidence. Conteh would finish the half with a team leading eight points, none bigger than her three point field goal with less than a minute left in the quarter. DiGiorgio continued to dominate the glass as she finished the half with 10 rebounds. Senior
Allison Bulthuis would also get loose for the Rams as she hit her first of five three point shots during the quarter. The offensive output was equally matched in the ability of North Central's defense to once again hold the Cougars to a mere 16 points in the quarter resulting in a 30-26 deficit going into the break.
North Central came out of the halftime break eager to continue their second quarter momentum, but found the length of Morris to be tough to navigate as they were outscored 21-14 in the third. The Rams struggled to stop Mia Wassink at times as she racked up six of her 15 points in the quarter. Meanwhile Abby Van Kempen gave the Blue and Gold fits, accumulating five of her game-high 19 rebounds. Although the Rams were outscored, they continued to battle back after every run that the Cougars had. At one point, the Rams trailed 32-47 with less than three minutes to play in the quarter. Thanks to the steady play of senior
Allison Bulthuis and sophomore
Naomi Hagstrom, they were able to regain momentum and trim the lead to 51-40 headed into the final quarter.
With only ten minutes remaining for the Rams in a must win game, they showed their true character as they battled back to the very end, ultimately having a chance to tie the game on a last second shot. During the fourth quarter, the Rams poured in 25 points and held the Cougars to only 18 as they mounted a furious comeback. Senior
Allison Bulthuis would lead the charge as she poured in 11 points during the quarter, knocking down shot after shot for the Rams. Bigtime buckets down the stretch from freshman
Jocelyn Talso, Hagstrom, and Conteh led to the Rams having the ball with one last chance to tie the game and send it to overtime. After the Rams were able to freeze the defense, Bulthuis would find herself with a good look from the corner which ultimately would fall just short. NCU would foul on the rebound, which resulted in UMM going 1-2 from the free throw line, effectively ending the vigorous comeback.
The Rams end the 2019-2020 campaign with much to be thankful for and much to look forward to in the future. Seniors
Allison Bulthuis and
Betty Rand both leave behind a legacy of helping lead NCU to their first ever playoff appearances while building a great foundation for future Ram success. Bulthuis led the team with 58 made three point field goals, while Rand chipped in 13 of her own. North Central returns a loaded roster next season which includes four of five current starters who will look to continue to grow the Rams fingerprints on the UMAC landscape. Coach Brunner finds himself in unchartered territory for the steadily improving Rams as they look to extend their playoff streak to three while pushing towards continued growth in all areas of play.
When asked after the game about his thoughts on the Rams efforts tonight, Brunner stated, "I'm incredibly proud of the way that our team battled. It was incredible to see us down 15 and fight back to have a chance to win it down the stretch. It's an emotional locker room after a game like that, but I told our team that I have loved coaching them this season and am so proud of them. These girls committed themselves every single day to growth, and they will look back on this and be able to hold their heads high."
Key Performers
Season Recap
The Rams finish their 2019-2020 campaign with a 12-14 record and a fifth place finish in the UMAC standings. North Central will return a large number of athletes next season as Coach Brunner, who picked up his 50th career win during the season, continues to have the Rams trending upwards in the conference. North Central says goodbye to seniors
Betty Rand and
Allison Bulthuis who both wrap up their careers as major foundation pieces of NCU success having led the Rams to two straight playoff appearances.
Media: For further information, contact
Mike Knipe at 612-343-3541 or email mjknipe@northcentral.edu.
