ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Looking to change the outcome of the last matchup, the North Central University (NCU) men's basketball team matched up with the #1 team in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), the University of Northwestern (UNW). The Rams excellent three point shooting wasn't enough to overtake the Eagles as the game ended with a score of 88-71.

Game Recap

The Rams brought the energy and intensity on the road as they fought against the Eagles in the opening minutes. It was a game of runs in the first half, started by UNW and then followed by NCU. The Rams' three pointer shooting was unstoppable in the first 20 minutes, as they shot 47% from downtown. Tanner Holtman (Aurora, CO, Grandview High School), Micah Filer (Sacramento, CA, Capital Christian School), Kayden Sund (Golden, CO), and Seth Fuqua (Colorado Springs, CO, The Vanguard School) all had two made three pointers of their own, making it difficult for the Eagles to close out on any one shooter. NCU was down by just three points going into halftime.

UNW went into the second halftime with a bit of a run but was quickly shut down by the Rams with some intense defense. Quite early into the half, the Eagles went into the bonus and Konrad Bueckers (Pine River, MN) fouled out with about ten minutes remaining. UNW used this to their advantage as they fought to get the line often. A couple made free throws helped the Eagles get a decent lead that NCU was unable to catch, as UNW let the clock tick down. So more made free throws in the closing minutes made the score a little more lopsided than the game actually was with the Eagles on top 88-71.

The Rams will move to 10-9 on the season and even out to 4-4 in the UMAC.

Key Performers

• Hitting four three pointers, Micah Filer scored 16 points and grabbed six boards.
• Jonathan Thompson (Kansas City, MO, Park Hill South High School) followed behind with 11 points.
• Coming off the bench, Edward Speller Jr. (Monument, CO, Lewis-Palmer High School) scored ten points shooting 80% from the field.

Looking Ahead

The Rams get about a week to rest as they play against Crown College this Friday at 7:15 pm at home. All fans are encouraged to tune into official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages for updates on the men's basketball team and much more information.