Northfield, MN -- Wednesday, the North Central University (NCU) women's basketball team continued its road schedule with a non-conference matchup against the Carleton College (CC) Knights. The Rams entered the contest seeking to avenge an early-season meeting from 2024 in which a lack of offensive rhythm and ball security proved costly. Coming in determined to flip those trends and pursue their first win of the year, the Rams ultimately mounted several strong scoring runs, highlighted by a 30-point third quarter, but ultimately fell in a competitive 83-74 road battle.

Carleton opened the game with early pressure, but North Central struck first behind a technical free throw from junior guard NiNi Davenport. Moments later, senior guard Lydia Schroeder knocked down a clean catch-and-shoot three to tie the game at 4-4. Despite the strong start, the Rams struggled to convert inside, going 4-of-15 from the field. Defensively, NCU stacked up several quality stops, including a block from senior guard Jackie Lindsay and a steal from Davenport, but consistent opponent scoring in the paint created separation. Freshman forward Keiley Mahseet hit a late jumper off a dish from sophomore guard Grace King to stop the bleeding, but the Rams trailed 24-10 after one.

North Central began to settle offensively, improving their shooting to 43.8% in the period. Senior forward Moriah McLendon opened the quarter with a mid-range jumper, and freshman guard Ailani Collazo added two composed free throws to trim the deficit. NCU's biggest push came midway through the frame as senior guard Brycelyn Brewster attacked the rim for back-to-back finishes, then found Lindsay in rhythm for another jumper. Defensive sparks continued with blocks from Davenport and Schroeder that helped fuel transition opportunities. The Rams' final highlight was a deep right-wing three from Collazo with 3 seconds remaining to cap an 18-point quarter. Carleton remained efficient from the arc, however, preserving a 44-28 lead heading into halftime.

The Rams delivered their best basketball of the night in the third, easily one of their strongest quarters of the young season, dropping 30 points on 47.6% shooting while hitting 6 total threes, outscoring Carleton 30-21. After an early McLendon bucket, Davenport took over. The junior guard caught fire, drilling 4 third-quarter threes, including back-to-back triples assisted by Brewster. Lindsay added her own deep ball to push the Rams within 10, while Mahseet dominated the glass with multiple strong defensive rebounds to extend possessions. Brewster added a smooth pull-up jumper, McLendon cashed in another mid-range look, and Schroeder snagged a timely steal to keep NCU's momentum rolling. Davenport knocked down her fourth three of the quarter with two seconds remaining to bring the Rams all the way back within single digits at 65-58.

NCU opened the final period with increased tempo as Brewster scored in traffic to cut the deficit to five. Moments later, McLendon blocked a layup attempt, Lindsay added another rejection, and the Rams pushed the pace. Mahseet finished inside, Schroeder added a strong cut-and-finish off the glass, and Brewster converted another layup to keep the gap manageable. Free throws from Mahseet made it a 73-68 game with five minutes remaining. Despite the Rams' continued defensive activity, including a clutch block from Brewster and another steal from the senior, the Knights responded with timely scores in the paint and late free throws to hold off the NCU comeback bid with a final of 83-74.

Top Performers: 

NiNi Davenport: 21 points, 3 rebounds, 6-9 from 3-point range
Brycelyn Brewster: 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals
Jackie Lindsay: 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists

Looking Ahead:

Up next, North Central continues its road stretch as they travel to P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium in Pella, IA, to take on the Central College Dutch this Saturday, November 15th. Tip-off is set for 3:00 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.