MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Thursday night showcased a historic night for the North Central University (NCU) men's basketball program. In the first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference men's basketball playoff game ever hosted at Clark-Danielson Gymnasium, the Rams took advantage of the opportunity by knocking off the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) Cougars by a final score of 65 to 57. NCU men's basketball has now earned a spot in the UMAC semifinals where they will travel to the University of Northwestern, St. Paul (UNW) Eagles on Saturday night.

Game Recap

The Rams opened the game on an incredible run that consisted of lock-down defense and several impressive drives to the rim by senior guard Justin Castro (Kissimmee, FL, Gateway High School). At the 14:25 mark, North Central found themselves with a commanding lead of 17 to 4 to start things off. From that point on the Cougars found their groove offensively and managed to slowly claw their way back into the game. With 1:25 left in the first half, UMM grabbed their first lead of the game at 27 to 26. This forced the Rams to head into halftime facing a two-point deficit. 

Despite the end of the first half telling a much different story than the beginning minutes, the blue and gold managed to not let the game slip out of reach. A second half that showcased five different lead changes early on, NCU found themselves in a back-and-forth battle for the latter 20 minutes. Micah Filer (Sacramento, CA, Capital Christian High School) was the lone bright spot for the Rams' shooting efforts outside the paint on the night. Filer and the Rams' strong perimeter defense that held the Cougars to shooting 1-of-9 from three in the second half kept them in range. Down the stretch in the game NCU worked their way to the free-throw line on drives to the rim. The Rams converted in crucial situations and sank 14 of their 19 free throws attempted in the second half. This powered the Rams to holding onto a tight lead in the remaining minutes and walking away with the vital playoff win.

Key Performers

• Micah Filer led the Rams' scoring efforts by netting 16 points while also coming away with four steals.
• Jalen Dunlap (Houston, TX, Hightower High School) put up 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the charity strike.
• Justin Castro (Kissimmee, FL, Gateway High School) recorded 15 points on an efficient 6-of-11 from the field in addition to dishing out four assists.

Looking Ahead

With the first conference playoff win now underneath Head Coach Dan DeWitt's belt, his team will advance to the UMAC semifinals in a two-day turnaround on Saturday night. In a 7:00 p.m. tip-off, North Central travel across the Twin Cities to the number two seeded University of Northwestern, St. Paul. All fans are encouraged to stay tuned to all official NCU Rams social media (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) for upcoming game information regarding UNW's policies on fan attendance and live video broadcast.