Hancock, MI -- The North Central University (NCU) Rams men's basketball team got on the bus and hit the road to take on the Finlandia University Lions (FU). After a long day of travel, the Rams showed up to play. North Central brought their best game with them as they secured the victory against the Lions with a score of 82-65. 

Both teams fought aggressively to gain momentum early on. It was the Lions that were able to string together the first run of the game, building a 8-point lead just over halfway through the first. The blue and gold was able to respond with a 7-0 run to bring the score back to a one-possession game. As both teams continued to battle it out, Finlandia held the lead for the remainder of the half, leading at the break 42-39. NCU shot just 1 for 11 from behind the arc and 12 for 21 from the free-throw line.  Even as the team struggled, Caden Freetly had a strong half posting 12 points and 5 rebounds. As uncharacteristic as it was for the Rams to struggle so much from the field, it was only a matter of time before Downtown U would take control. 

Coming out of the break, the Lions continued to hold the lead, but only by a slim margin. It was six minutes into the half when the Rams finally found their groove. North Central went on a 10-2 run to take a seven-point lead. Jaylen Carrizales and Micah Filer were able to score five points each on the Rams run that would give them a lead they wouldn't let go. As NCU continued to press, they would go on another run that would help put the game away.  With 11 minutes to go, the Rams would begin a 23-7 run over the next 7 minutes putting away the Lions. Carrizales continued to be a bright spot for North Central, posting 11 points total in the second half. NCU outscored Finlandia by twenty points in the back half to give them the commanding win with a score of 82-65. 

Top Performers:

• Caden Freetly (Farmington, MN): 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks
• Cameron Thomas (Aurora, CO): 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks 
• Micah Filer (Sacramento, CA): 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists
• Jaylen Carrizales (Aurora, CO): 13 points and 3 rebounds

Looking ahead: 

The North Central Rams will stay in Michigan to take on Maranatha Baptist University tomorrow (12/3) at 2:00pm. 

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