Dubuque, IA -- North Central University (NCU) men's basketball took to the floor once more following last night's 90-81 win over Central College. To close out the Loras Holiday Classic, NCU faced off with the hosting Loras College (LC) Duhawks. In their first ever meeting, these teams put on a show in a tail of two halves. Loras led through most of the first half with their largest lead reaching 8 points. North Central took the lead on the first possession of the second half and held it until the final minutes when the game went back and forth. NCU's backcourt, comprised of Carmello McNeal, Malik Siggers, and Carrington McNeal, led the Rams to an 87-84 victory over the Duhawks. 

Things did not start off well for NCU as Loras jumped out to a 10-2 lead after just three minutes of action. Senior captain Tanner Holtman led the Rams, capitalizing on an and-one and a three-point strike. Malik Siggers chipped in with a three of his own and two layups to cut the lead to just one. The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the half, neither giving up any significant runs. Siggers carried the Rams with 14 points and 4 steals in the first half. After a hard fought 20 minutes of play, North Central trailed 42-41 at the half. 

Carrington McNeal gave NCU the lead early in the second with a steal and fastbreak layup. The Rams continued to push the pace in transition as Carmello McNeal knocked down a pair of threes to extend their lead. North Central held onto that lead until the 12-minute mark when the Duhawks were able to fight back to tie the game at 59-59. Senior Nik Feller got hot offensively, scoring 8-straight points. Down the stretch, Carmello McNeal came up big with numerous timely buckets to keep the Rams out front. Loras eventually took the lead with 1 minute remaining in the game. McNeal answered with a layup to go up 85-84 with 52 seconds on the clock. After a timeout by the Duhawks, the Rams came up with a crucial defensive stop that led to Siggers getting intentionally fouled and sent to the charity stripe. Siggers nailed both free throws and the Duhawks' three-point attempt to tie the game was unsuccessful. North Central defeated Loras by a final score of 87-84. 

Top Performers:

• Carmello McNeal: 21 points and 5 rebounds
• Malik Siggers: 20 points, 5 steals, and 3 rebounds
• Carrington McNeal: 18 points and 3 rebounds
• Cameron Thomas: 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks

Looking Ahead:

The Rams resume action in the new year as they kick off conference play in a 2024 UMAC Semifinal rematch with the UW-Superior Yellowjackets on Wednesday, January 8th. This contest is scheduled to tip off at 5:30 PM in Superior, WI. 

All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on men's basketball and all things NCU Athletics.