MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The North Central University (NCU) hosted the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) championship game for the second year in a row against the three seed the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM). While it was anyone's game, the Rams held the lead consistently through the 40 minutes securing it at 52-47.

Game Recap

Fueled by energy from both the teams and the fans, the first quarter was intense and a bit chaotic on both sides with each team trying find their rhythm and establish their style of play. The Rams found it first in Naomi Hagstrom (Zimmerman, MN, Zimmerman High School), who had 12 first quarter points. Hagstrom found herself finishing at the rim and also at the three point line. The second quarter was a full-on defensive show as both teams scored a collective ten points. However, it was NCU who outscored the Cougars 7-3. The Rams cleaned up the boards in the second ten minutes, not allowing UMM to have any extra possessions. At the half, the Rams went into the locker up with a five point lead.

The third quarter had multiple momentum swings starting with a run by the Cougars. NCU shut down this run midway through the quarter then going on a run of their own. However, UMM came back to stop the Rams' run to finish the third. Despite these energy surges, NCU stayed in the lead going into the fourth quarter. The Rams struggled to get the ball into post Emily DiGiorgio (Ironwood, MI, Luther L. Wright High School) throughout the game, but found her as the game wound down to get some extra point on the board. The closing minutes were tight as both teams wanted to walk away with the championship. With 43 seconds left, Aubrey Robinson (Colorado Springs, CO, Sierra High School) hit a corner three to give NCU a six point lead. On the other end, DiGiorgio and Joelle Talso (Ramsey, MN, Spring Lake Park High School) had a combined block on a UMM three point attempt. After that, the Rams sealed the deal by hitting free throws, going 17-18 from the line, and winning the game 52-47. 

The victory gives NCU their first UMAC tournament championship in program history. The Rams move to 24-4 on the season.

Key Performers

• Naomi Hagstrom shot 50% from the field scoring 25 points.
• Aubrey Robinson went 6-6 from the free throw, adding in 11 points and five steals.
• Emily DiGiorgio was one point shy of a double double with ten rebounds and nine points.

Looking Ahead

The Rams will now head into the NCAA DIII tournament this coming weekend. The selection show will be held tomorrow at 11:30 am CT to determine the schedule. All fans are encouraged to tune into official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages for updates on the women's basketball team's schedule and much more information.