Minneapolis, MN -- North Central University (NCU) Rams women's basketball play the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) at the Clark Danielson Gymnasium. The rivalry continued tonight as the Downtown U robbed the Cougars from dancing in the NCAA last year. They continue that triumph tonight winning a nail-biter victory 75-69.

The Cougars set an early tone to the game with a 10-2 lead. Blue and Gold responded with the leadership of Bryce Brewster sinking three back-to-back layups, finalizing the quarter 12-16. Momentum picked up for NCU as they sparked the lead with in the first minute of play thanks to Caitlyn Ryan hitting a couple quick buckets. Mia Mabanag solidified Ram's control with a hot three that drove the advantage for the rest of the half. Cougars battled hard as both teams headed to the locker room with a tie score of 32-32.

Action started again with a back-and-forth battle as both teams were drilling consecutive threes.The Ram's hot hand in the paint created a consistent 7-point lead. Joelle Talso extended the lead, finishing the quarter with a buzzer-beater three. UMM continued to feel the pressure of NCU's high energy and unstoppable shots from Freshman Mia Mabanag as she hit two threes within a minute of each other. The Cougars clawed their way back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Kayla Hola had her debut game on the season after returning from knee surgery and brought a spark all game long. After the Cougars crawled back within one possession, Hola's huge second-chance bucket reignited the Rams offense, helping to shut down Morris

North Central had their highest field goal percentage of the season at 46.8%. This was the Ram's first UMAC conference match of the season. Downtown U proved they are once again a top threat in the UMAC tonight with a huge 75-69 win over the #2 ranked Cougars.

Top Performers: 

• Joelle Talso (Ramsey, MN): 18 points, 3 steals, 5 assists, and 2 blocks
• Mia Mabanag (Danville, CA): 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals
• Kayla Hola (Bastrop, TX): 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 steal
• Caitlyn Ryan (Papillion, NE): 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists

Looking Ahead: 

The Rams continue on their home stretch in the first weekend of UMAC conference play against Crown College Saturday at 4:45 pm.

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