New Ulm, MN -- This evening, the men's basketball team from North Central University (NCU) made their way to New Ulm, Minnesota to face the Martin Luther College (MLC) Knights. In the previous matchup between these two competitors last season, the Rams took the victory over the Knights, with a final score of 99-63. Tonight, North Central would see yet another win over Martin Luther with a final score of 80-57. 

With the help of some lights-out shooting, North Central got out to a fast start as they led 16-0 after just 3 minutes of action. Carrington McNeal, Remy Wedgeworth-Brown, Carmello McNeal, and Tanner Holtman all connected on a three-pointer during this opening run. The McNeal brothers continued their offensive dominance as they got to the rim at will. The Rams held a comfortable lead throughout the half, forcing turnovers defensively and executing offensively in the halfcourt. Senior big-man Cameron Thomas totaled 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals to anchor North Central down low. In the final 5 minutes of the half, NCU went on an 11-2 run as Holtman caught fire with 3 three-pointers late. The Rams led the Knights 50-23 at the half. 

Senior Tanner Holtman continued his hot hand by hitting his fifth three of the evening to open the second half scoring for NCU. Blue Smaller was a spark plug off the bench in the second half, blocking shots and finishing at the rim on the other end. The junior finished with 6 points and 2 blocks in just 13 minutes. Elijah Smith also had himself a nice game with 7 points in just 11 minutes and gave the Rams their largest lead of the evening at 29 points. Late in the second half, freshman Isaiah Ronning picked up his first collegiate points to excite the NCU bench. North Central went on to win 80-57 over Martin Luther. 

Top Performers:

• Carrington McNeal: 15 points and 4 rebounds
• Tanner Holtman: 15 points and 4 rebounds
• Cameron Thomas: 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals

Looking Ahead:

This weekend, the men will return home to host a matchup against the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets. The game is slated for this Saturday, February 1st at 3:00 PM. 

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.