Minneapolis, MN -- This Saturday, North Central University (NCU) women's basketball hosted a matchup against the Buena Vista University (BVU) Beavers at home. When these two faced off last season, the Rams took home the victory in a game that ended 80-58. Today, although North Central's offense looked better at times, the Beavers were able to keep pace and eventually win 70-56.

In a hard-fought first half, the Rams found themselves trailing the Beavers 33-24 despite strong individual performances. Kaitlyn VanderPloeg led the charge for the Rams with 7 points and 4 rebounds, while Brycelyn Brewster was active defensively, contributing with an outstanding 7 steals to go along with 4 points to begin the first half. Savi Rael contributed a pair of thee-pointers off the bench. However, North Central's offensive flow was disrupted by 15 total turnovers, with several costly plays in the second quarter that led to easy baskets for Buena Vista. Despite a solid effort, the Rams found themselves trailing 33-24 at the break. 

North Central did their best to begin a rally after coming back from halftime, as Kaitlyn VanderPloeg finished in the paint to open the third quarter. Jackie Lindsay led the second half with 10 points, including some fast-break layups and a pair of 3-pointers. However, the Beaver found their rhythm offensively as they earned their largest lead of the afternoon at 20 toward the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter of the contest, the Rams began to struggle with turnovers once again. Buena Vista went on to win the game 70-56 in Minneapolis. 

Top Performers:

• Kaitlyn VanderPloeg: 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks
• Jackie Lindsay: 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists
• Bryce Brewster: 10 points, 9 steals, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds

Looking Ahead:

NCU will host a final game before Christmas break as they host the Central College Dutch next Tuesday, December 17th. The matchup is set to begin at 5:00 PM.

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