ASHLAND. Wisc. -- After a close game the previous night, the North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team faced off against Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) opponent Northland College (NC). An up and down game went to the Rams as they gained their 20th win of the regular season with a score of 73-52.

Game Recap

NCU started off the game by hitting two three pointers, one from Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) and another from Bethany Shield (Lincoln, NE, Lincoln Southwest High School). The Rams hit seven three pointers in the first half, giving them the edge they needed to stay in the lead. The Lumberjills contained NCU in the first quarter, but the Rams exploded offensively in the second, outscoring NC 19-9. NCU's offense was more fluid and had more movement resulting in more made baskets. The defense of the Rams also stepped up, making it harder and harder for the Lumberjills to score. And at the half, NCU was up 35-22.

NC had a great third quarter making the game more interesting than the Rams would have liked. Yet, NCU dug deep and fought back in the fourth quarter in a big way, now outscoring the Lumberjills 22-9. DiGiorgio worked in the paint down low and Kadija Conteh (London, UK, City of London Academy) used her speed to get to the rim off the dribble multiples times. Aubrey Robinson (Colorado Springs, CO, Sierra High School) cleaned it up on the defensive end grabbing 12 boards, keeping NC from getting any extra possessions. The Rams pulled away in the closing minutes securing their 20th win of the season.

Now at 20-3 and 9-3 in the UMAC, NCU sits comfortably at the third seed in the conference.

Key Performers

• Emily DiGiorgio had another big game with 20 points and nine rebounds.
• Point guard Kadija Conteh added 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
• Kaitlyn VanderPloeg went three for three from the three point line to tally up nine points, eight rebounds, and three blocks.

Looking Ahead

With this weekend under their belts, the Rams enter into their final week of the regular season. NCU will host Martin Luther College (MLC) this coming Friday at 5:30 pm after beating MLC 87-69 earlier in the year. 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.