New Ulm, MN -- North Central University (NCU) women's basketball traveled to New Ulm, Minnesota tonight to face off against the Martin Luther College (MLC) Knights. The last time these two teams saw each other in 2024, the Rams fell to the Knights, 68-61. This evening, North Central's scoring struggles led to a 69-50 defeat versus Martin Luther.

Midway through the first quarter, MLC was able to gain a 9-2 lead over North Central. A huge three-pointer by junior Alaysia Rusch gave NCU a much needed boost of energy. However, neither team was able to find much rhythm to start the game as the Knight led 13-8 after a low scoring first quarter. 

Martin Luther quickly extended their lead to double-digits to start the second. Kaitlyn VanderPloeg and Lydia Schroeder combined for 9 of the Rams' 14 points in the quarter. A jumper from freshman Alexa Reddig in the final minute of the half made it 34-22 at the break. 

In the third, the Rams were able to put together their best scoring quarter of the contest. VanderPloeg led NCU in the paint with 9 points and Jackie Lindsay got going from the wing with 6 points. However, the Knights were able to keep pace offensively and remain ahead of the Rams at 51-38. 

North Central attempted a late-game push, cutting the deficit to 11 points with three-pointers from Savi Rael and Lydia Schroeder. Unfortunately, NCU's scoring went dry in the final four minutes and the Knights closed out the game on a 8-0 run. Martin Luther went on to win 69-50 over North Central. 

Top Performers:

• Kaitlyn VanderPloeg: 17 points and 8 rebounds
• Lydia Schroeder: 8 points and 4 rebounds

Looking Ahead:

This Saturday, North Central will return to Clark-Danielson Gymnasium to host a matchup against the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets. The game is set to begin at 4:45 PM.

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.