UMAC Quarterfinal Game Previews
Following North Central University's (NCU) last Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season competition on Monday, the conference announced the finalized postseason tournament seedings. NCU men's basketball has been awarded the number three overall seed, and NCU women's basketball has been officially declared as the number one overall seed for the tournament. In double-header fashion, both men's and women's basketball will be hosting the quarterfinal round of the UMAC playoffs on Thursday night. The contests will prove historic for each program, as this is the first time any UMAC playoff game will take place in Clark-Danielson Gymnasium.
#1 Women's Basketball vs #8 Crown College
Women's basketball ended their regular season conference play by making history on Monday night. Finishing with a 7-1 record in the UMAC and an overall record of 16-3, NCU women's basketball clinched a share of the regular season conference championship title. Looking ahead to their matchup tonight, the team sits at the number one overall seed and will take on the eighth seeded Crown College (CC) Storm. Having won by a landslide victory of 74-48 last week that cemented NCU as the top seed, the Rams will be looking for similar results this time around in the first round.
Coming off of a career-high 30-point game on Monday night,
Kadija Conteh (London, UK, City of London Academy) found the hot-hand that gave the Storm's backcourt trouble the last time they matched up with the Rams.
Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) made her impact felt by posting a high-scoring double-double performance.
Naomi Hagstrom (Zimmerman, MN, Zimmerman High School) and
Jocelyn Talso (Ramsey, MN, Spring Lake Park High School) also combined for a 29-point outing in their prior matchup as well.
#3 Men's Basketball vs #6 University of Minnesota Morris
Men's basketball wrapped up regular season conference play on Monday night and have been awarded the third seed heading into the playoffs. The Rams will clash with the sixth-seeded University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) Cougars in the quarterfinal round. At the beginning of February, these two teams faced off at Clark-Danielson Gymnasium where the Rams managed to top the Cougars by a final score of 104-84.
In the Rams' win over the Cougars,
Justin Castro (Kissimmee, FL, Gateway High School) had a phenomenal overall performance. The senior guard recorded 13 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in the contest, nearly earning him a triple-double. It was also stellar night for the true freshman
Jonathan Thompson (Kansas City, MO, Park Hill South High School), who chipped in 17 points and eight rebounds for the Rams. Coming up just shy of a double-double, freshman
Tanner Holtman (Aurora, CO, Grandview High School) ended the night with 15 points and nine rebounds.
COVID-19 Fan Attendance Policy Update
For the first time this year, North Central COVID-19 protocols will be allowing a limited number of spectators to attend tonight's playoff competition. Two guests per North Central coach and player will be granted access to Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. For all other fans, we encourage you to tune into the action by navigating ncurams.com/watch where the free live broadcasts of tonight's playoff matchups can be found. For any other updates throughout the contest, stay tuned to our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) for game updates and news.
