Ashland, WI -- Tonight, the North Central University (NCU) Women's Basketball team traveled to Ashland, Wisconsin to play the Lumberjills of Northland College (NC). Last season, NCU won big with a final score of 91-36 on the road against the Lumberjills. Tonight, the Rams dominated the start of the game and carried the lead all the way to a 79-41 win. Kaitlyn VanderPloeg, Brycelyn Brewster, McKenzie Latzke, and Jackie Lindsay combined for 53 of the team's 79 total points. 

The Rams wasted no time taking the lead as they opened the game on a 14-0 run, including a pair of three-pointers from McKenzie Latzke. NCU gave up just two points in the first quarter as they shut down the Lumberjills defensively. They held Northland to just 1-13 from the field and forced 7 turnovers. NCU led 20-2 after the first.

Brycelyn Brewster started the second quarter with a steal and fastbreak layup to grow the lead. Nearing halftime, the Lumberjills were able to get a handful of shots to fall as they cut the deficit to 14 with 1:26 remaining. However, a pair of layups from Kaitlyn VanderPloeg and a jumper from Jackie Lindsay quickly grew the lead back to 20 points at 36-16.

Much like the first quarter, the Rams dominated offensively as NCU's guards were able to take Northland's defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim. North Central shot an efficient 11-16 (68.8%) from the field. The Rams led the Lumberjacks 59-21 heading into the final quarter. 

The fourth quarter featured a lot of scoring and not much defense. Freshman Magdalena Daukaus had a strong showing with limited minutes as she posted 6 points and 6 rebounds. Senior Savi Rael led the Rams defensively with a career-high 4 steals on the night. NCU went on to win by a final score of 79-41. 

Top Performers:

• Kaitlyn VanderPloeg: 14 points and 16 rebounds
• Brycelyn Brewster: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals
• McKenzie Latzke: 14 points
• Jackie Lindsay: 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists

Looking Ahead:

Up next, the Rams come home for a matchup with the Bethany Lutheran Vikings this Saturday, January 25th. The game will tip-off at 4:45pm following the men's game.  

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