ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The North Central University looked to keep their season alive as they faced the University of Northwestern (UNW) in the semi-finals of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) tournament. The number two seeded Eagles couldn't keep up with the Rams down the stretch as NCU wins with a 30 point win at 79-48.

Game Recap

It was a tight game at the start as both teams were getting to the rim. However, the Rams opened up the game with a 7-2 run to start the second quarter, causing the Eagles to take a time out and regroup. This second quarter run was helped by a strong and loaded NCU zone defense. UNW tried just about anything to find the basket, but was met by a Ram defender countless times. On offense, Aubrey Robinson (Colorado Springs, CO, Sierra High School) hit three three pointers in the first half alone which opened up the lane for Naomi Hagstrom (Zimmerman, MN, Zimmerman High School) and Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) to cut to the hoop and score. The Eagles cut the Rams lead going into the half 35-30.

UNW gave a little bit of a fight to start the third quarter, but NCU worked methodically offense. DiGiorgio worked hard down low to get good position to score and her teammates found her almost every possessions. Overall, the Rams had 17 assists which helped give them a 20 point lead with two minutes to go in the third. As the offense flowed for NCU, their defense heated up forcing 21 Eagle turnovers. The Rams 32 points off those turnovers and had 17 total steals with Joelle Talso (Ramsey, MN, Spring Lake Park High School) leading the team with six. NCU kept up this intensity all the way through the fourth quarter, defeating UNW by 31 points.

An impressive display of talent sends the Rams to the UMAC championship and gives them a record of 23-4, the best in program history.

Key Performers

• Shooting 58% from the field, Aubrey Robinson tallied 24 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.
• Post Emily DiGiorgio dominated the paint with 22 points and four blocks.
• Naomi Hagstrom hit three three pointers adding in 14 points.

Looking Ahead

The Rams will host the UMAC championship for the second year in a row this Sunday at 2 pm against number four seed, the University of Minnesota Morris. NCU beat the Cougars twice this season, both in very close games. 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.