Indianola, IA -- Friday, the North Central University (NCU) men's basketball team returned to Cowles Fieldhouse for day two of the Bruce Wilson Invite with a neutral-site matchup against the Dominican University (DU) Stars. After a difficult shooting night against UW-Eau Claire the evening prior, the Rams took the floor with renewed poise and delivered a resilient bounce-back performance. Behind strong guard play, 40 team rebounds, and a clutch closing stretch, North Central secured a 77-73 victory to cap off their weekend in Iowa. Senior guard Remy Wedgeworth-Brown provided the defining spark, scoring 15 points, including the go-ahead layup and four late free throws to lift NCU across the finish line.

The Rams opened the game with their sharpest start of the season, racing out to an 8-0 run fueled by senior guard Carrington McNeal and senior guard Remy Wedgeworth-Brown. NCU's defensive pressure created early transition opportunities, and a three-pointer from senior forward Elijah Smith expanded the lead to 6-0 in the opening minutes. North Central controlled the pace early by attacking the paint, an area they would dominate all afternoon with 44 points inside. The Rams' bench soon added to the momentum, as junior guard Jamisen Young and junior forward Jacob Becher entered with immediate contributions. Young's fastbreak finish and Becher's interior scoring helped NCU build its largest first-half lead at 21-10. As the half continued, Dominican mounted a push, but the Rams countered each run with timely scoring. Smith powered through contact for a driving layup, Wedgeworth-Brown knocked down two free throws, and McNeal continued to control the boards. By halftime, NCU held a 38-34 advantage behind 62.5% shooting (15-of-24) and excellent interior efficiency.

After a scoreless opening few minutes, Dominican opened the second half with renewed energy, quickly trimming the deficit and momentarily taking a 39-38 lead. North Central responded with composure as senior guard Carmello McNeal disrupted the Stars' rhythm with back-to-back steals that led to a transition layup and restored momentum. From there, the half evolved into a tightly contested battle with ten total lead changes, and the Rams relied on contributions across the roster to counter each swing. Carrington McNeal steadied the offense by getting to the free-throw line and controlling the glass, while Young delivered timely finishes in traffic. Junior guard Geovanni Velarde shifted the energy with two critical three-pointers, including a deep right-wing make to put NCU up 59-55, and Becher added a key driving score as the teams traded answers. With the game deadlocked at 71-71 entering the final minute, North Central elevated its execution. Wedgeworth-Brown drilled a momentum-changing three, then on the next possession attacked downhill for the go-ahead layup to make it 73-71. After the Rams secured a defensive stop, Smith finished a transition layup to extend the lead, and Wedgeworth-Brown sealed the game at the line with four clutch free throws in the closing seconds. A final steal from Carrington McNeal in the last second secured the Rams' gritty 77-73 victory.

Senior guard, Carrington McNeal earned Bruce Wilson Shootout All-Tournament Team honors, averaging 14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 2 spg in games against UW-Eau Claire and Dominican. 

Top Performers:

• Carrington McNeal: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists
• Remy Wedgeworth-Brown: 15 points, 5-6 FG, 1-1 3PT FG, 4-4 FT
• Jamisen Young: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals

Looking Ahead:

Up next, North Central returns home for a non-conference matchup against Concordia College-Moorhead on Tuesday, November 25, in Minneapolis. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM inside Clark-Danielson Gymnasium.

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