NEW ULM, Minn. – The North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team looked to bounce in their Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) contest with Martin Luther College (MLC). In a game full of momentum swings, the game ultimately swung in favor of the Rams with a final score of 87-69.
 
Game Recap
 
The Knights started out well against the Ram's press defense and gained an early lead. However, NCU regrouped towards the end of the first quarter and sent organized chaos to MLC's ball handlers. Bethany Shield (Lincoln, NE, Lincoln Southwest High School) and Mary Seegers (Oconomowoc, WI, Homeschool) fed off each other in the top line of the Ram's defense, getting multiple tips and steals leading to many fast-break points. This defense led into the second quarter to give NCU a decent lead. Naomi Hagstrom (Zimmerman, MN, Zimmerman High School) contributed to the offense by sinking some shots from deep and after a 29-point quarter, the Rams went into halftime leading the Knights.

It was a bit of a stalemate coming out of the half. About two minutes into the third quarter, NCU got back into rhythm and went on a 16-5 run, finding their offense from their highly intense defense. The Rams had 14 steals and a total of 26 points off of the Knight's turnovers. Even when MLC broke NCU's press, Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) was waiting in the paint to either contest or block a shot, as she had 5 blocks on the night. While MLC started off the fourth quarter strong, NCU buckled down to stop the Knight's momentum. The Rams were able to maintain and grow the lead through their teamwork. NCU had 25 total assists, led by Shield who had seven, and five players in double figures.

The Rams head back home with the victory moving to 15-2 on the season. Furthermore, NCU completes the first round of UMAC games, going 5-2 .

 
Key Performers
 

• Leading the Rams with 17 points, Naomi Hagstrom hit four three pointers.
• Shooting 66% from three, Mary Seegers had 14 points, three assists, and two steals.
• Kadija Conteh scored 14 points and had four assists, and three steals.

 
Looking Ahead
 
The Rams get a rematch with UMAC competitor, the University of Northwestern (UNW), this Saturday at 3 pm at UNW's gym. All fans are encouraged to tune into official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages for updates on the women's basketball team and much more information.