Minneapolis, MN -- The North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team played their cross-town rivals at home this Saturday in the Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. This is their second contest against the University of Northwestern (UNW) Eagles this season. The first meeting ended in a close loss for the Rams and this one wouldn't be any less heartbreaking. NCU lost a disappointing battle 34-67.

North Central put pressure on the Eagles right out of the gates. Each team was trading buckets back and forth for the entire first quarter. NCU's sharp shooting duo, Joelle Talso and Piper Flemming, were rolling on the offensive end, keeping pace with UNW, leading to a knotted up 11-11 score at the end of one. Once the second quarter hit, something ignited Northwestern as they began scoring with high efficiency, resulting in a significant point differential. The Eagle's defensive strides also limited the Blue and Gold's scoring, only allowing 3 total points. After a dismal second-quarter performance, NCU trailed 14-29.

Out of the break, North Central would strive to get any sort of momentum to swing in their favor. Bryce Brewster, never lacking any display of grit, led the Rams on both ends of the floor with steals and rebounds that led to buckets in transition. Northwestern strung together some impressive defensive stands that led to numerous scoring streaks. Downtown U was seemingly not able to get the lid off the basket, shooting a dispiriting 20% from the field. North Central never totally giving up, however, did show improvements in the last two minutes of the game, sinking 5 quick buckets inside the  paint, but UNW was much in control at that point. The Rams left the gym with a tough loss resulting in their lowest-scoring contest of the season, 34-67.

Top Performers:

Piper Flemming (Saint Paul, MN): 6 points, 4 blocks, and 7 rebounds
Joelle Talso (Ramsey, MN): 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists
Bryce Brewster (Burnsville, MN): 3 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals
 
Looking Ahead:

North Central will have some opportunities for redemption next weekend as they are scheduled to play Crown on Friday at 7:15 p.m. and Morris on Saturday at 4:45 p.m.

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