DUBUQUE, Iowa. -- In their second trip to Iowa in the new year, the North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team fought hard against the University of Dubuque (UD) Spartans. While the Rams took control of the three-point line, the Spartans pushed the ball to dominate in transition and also held the advantage in points in the paint. NCU fell 89-74, tallying their second loss of the season.

Game Recap

The game was full of momentum swings from the opening tip. The Rams were in the lead early on, but could not maintain it after the first quarter. Even with strong shooting in the second quarter, NCU was down 15 at the half. Despite the score, NCU came out re-energized in the third quarter, outscoring the Spartans 22-15 and going on a string of 5-0 runs to get back in the game. Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) got her fourth foul in the third which hurt North Central's ability to get on the glass.

Naomi Hagstrom (Zimmerman, MN, Zimmerman High School) was vital in helping make up for DiGiorgio's foul trouble by dropping 23 points on the night and knocking down five threes in the process. Heading into the fourth, UD only had a seven point advantage thanks to a momentous three pointer from Kadija Conteh (London, UK, City of London Academy). The fourth quarter was very back-and-fourth, but the Rams were unable to catch up to the Spartans and gain back the lead at any point down the stretch.

Despite the loss, Coach Brunner was pleased with the effort of his team.

"I am proud of how hard we competed. We need to become more consistent on both ends of the court moving forward. This is all a part of the process of becoming the team we desire to be. We will continue to be process driven and growth focused. Great things are ahead for this group!" 

Key Performers

• Naomi Hagstrom had the high of the night with 23 points. She also had two blocks.
• Emily DiGiorgio, despite the four fouls, got another double double with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
• Kadija Conteh obtain 14 points for the Rams along with three steals and five assists.
• Jocelyn Talso (Ramsey, MN, Spring Lake Park High School) added four three pointers continuing to shoot well consistently from downtown.

Looking Ahead

The Rams travel back to Minneapolis and will enjoy competing on their home floor against Luther College this Saturday at 1:00 pm. A reminder to all fans that only essential game personnel will be admitted into the CLC Center in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Health and COVID-19 restrictions. NCU Athletics encourages fans to stay posted to official NCU Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, as the situation on future fan attendance at any North Central home basketball games will continued to be monitored.