Hancock, MI -- North Central University (NCU) Rams men's basketball faced the Maranatha Baptist Sabercats (MBU) earlier today (Saturday 12/3) in Hancock, Michigan. Riding the momentum from their big win last night, the Rams showed no shortage of energy or confidence in today's game, leaving the gym with a 90-58 victory over MBU.

From the jump, it took both teams a while to get into a groove offensively. It wasn't until the 11:25 mark in the first half, that the Rams started picking up steam. They were able to string together a quick 6 points, stretching their lead to 7. NCU senior Kayden Sund had a monster first half, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, where he led the team with 4 total blocks. With 7 minutes to go, the Rams lockdown defense led to fast break buckets at the other end, opening up a 9-0 run. Second-chance points allowed North Central to go on yet another scoring streak to widen the point differential. Leading the way on the boards were forwards Caden Freetly and Micah Filer, who each had 6 rebounds in the half. NCU took a 42-19 lead and lots of momentum into the halftime locker room.

Out of the break, North Central wasted no time opening up the second half with a bucket on their first possession. Beautiful ball movement led to the Rams catching fire from deep, hitting 3 three-pointers in a span of only 1 minute and 30 seconds. Continuing to attack, NCU was able to get the free-throw line more often in the second half; however, they shot an underwhelming 64.3% (9-14) from the stripe. Although the Sabercats were able to shoot a significantly higher percentage from every level in the second half, the deficit proved to be too great. Efficient inside scoring from NCU reserves Kayden Sund, Jonathan Thompson, and Jaylen Carrizales contributed to a 53-16 bench points advantage for the Rams. After the final buzzer, your North Central Rams walked away with a commanding 90-58 win, going 2-0 on the weekend.

Top Performers:

• Kayden Sund (Golden, CO): 15 points, 4 blocks, 2 rebounds
• Micah Filer (Sacramento, CA): 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists
• Caden Freetly (Farmington, MN): 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks
• Jonathan Thompson (Kansas City, MO): 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals

Looking ahead: 

NCU Men's Basketball begins their UMAC conference play at HOME this upcoming Friday against the Minnesota Morris Cougars at 5:30 PM.

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