MINNEAPOLIS, -- Coming into tonight's matchup after Tuesday night's home win on a buzzer-beater over the Martin Luther College Knights, the North Central University (NCU) Rams men's basketball team was fired up and ready for their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) matchup of the year. Tonight NCU hosted the Crown College (CC) Storm where the Rams overcame the Storm's second half push to come out on top by a final score of 75-62. With the first home win of the season that did not end on a buzzer-beater, NCU improved to a 3-5 record (3-0 and home).

Game Recap

The Rams opened the game with a monstrous defensive effort. Through the first five and a half minutes of action, the Storm did not manage to get a point on the scoreboard until a pair of free throws. Having a rough shooting half, going 0-13 from three, Crown could not overcome North Central's defensive presence. Inversely, the blue and gold shot an efficient 50% clip from three, leaving the scoreboard reading 42-14 Rams heading into the halftime break.

The Rams found themselves in the eye of the Storm in the second half, as Crown shot a much-improved 16-of-27 from the field and 60% from three. Crown, undergoing some major adjustments at half, was ultimately unable to stop NCU's momentum that continued on to the second half. Even with CC's initial spark, North Central managed to not give up the lead at any point in the contest. Leading the Rams offensively were Micah Filer (Sacramento, CA, Capital Christian High School) and Seth Fuqua (Colorado Springs, CO, The Vanguard School). The dynamic shooting duo let it rain on the Storm by combining for a total of 36 points out of the team's 75. As the second half minutes winded down, North Central showcased several key stops and buckets to keep Crown from within reach of the lead at any point, a true testament to their resilience.

Key Performer(s)

• Micah Filer put up 16 points and eight rebounds on the night that were highlighted by several big-time momentum-stealing buckets.
• Seth Fuqua tallied 20 points, leading the Rams in scoring, and shot 67% from three.
• Cameron Thomas (Aurora, CO, Grandview High School) scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds for the Rams in the paint.

Looking Ahead

Following tonight's win, NCU men's basketball will hit the road and travel to Ashland, Wisconsin, where their second conference matchup against the Northland College Lumberjacks awaits them. With tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m., fans can are encouraged to stay posted to NCU Rams social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) for updates, information, live video broadcast, and live statistics regarding the UMAC matchup.