Minneapolis, MN -- Tuesday, North Central University (NCU) men's basketball returned to Clark-Danielson Gymnasium for a home matchup against the Concordia College-Moorhead (CCM) Cobbers. After spending the weekend on the road, the Rams came back to Minneapolis carrying momentum from their most recent victory and looked to build on the strides they've made early in the season. The last meeting between these two programs came nearly a decade ago during the 2015-16 campaign, a tight contest that slipped away late. Tonight, North Central battled through seven ties and seven lead changes in a fast-paced, competitive matchup, ultimately falling 83-73 despite strong individual efforts and a determined second-half push.
North Central opened the evening with pace and poise, starting the scoring with a strong finish from senior guard
Carrington McNeal, who attacked the lane for the game's first basket. Moments later, senior guard
Remy Wedgeworth-Brown pushed the tempo and found senior forward
Elijah Smith in transition for a fast-break layup, giving the Rams an early 4-0 advantage. Concordia answered with perimeter shooting, but NCU continued to find scoring opportunities inside; Smith added another score at the rim to keep the Rams within striking distance. Midway through the half, North Central's depth took over. Senior guard
Carmello McNeal and junior guard
Jamisen Young sparked key runs, combining for fast-break finishes created off defensive pressure. Junior forward
Jax Effertz knocked down a three from the wing, and Smith continued his active all-around play, securing rebounds and facilitating in transition. The Rams' bench brought a major surge. senior guard
Jaquan Adams drilled back-to-back threes as part of an 8-0 run, while junior forward
Jacob Becher added a contested layup and later buried a corner three to swing the lead back to NCU. With both teams trading baskets in the closing minutes, Adams capped a strong stretch with a fast-break finish before Concordia converted late free throws to hold a slim 37-36 advantage at the break.
The Rams came out firing to begin the second half, immediately taking the lead as
Jax Effertz connected on a three-pointer off a setup from
Remy Wedgeworth-Brown. Moments later, Wedgeworth-Brown sliced through the defense for a layup to put NCU ahead 41-39. On the defensive end,
Carrington McNeal made a momentum-shifting play with a chase-down block, followed shortly by a steal that led to another North Central possession. McNeal continued to find scoring angles in the lane,
Elijah Smith grabbed offensive rebounds to extend plays, and
Jamisen Young stabilized the offense with timely passes and drives. Senior
Josh Hoffman added an energizing put-back score, while Effertz drained his third three of the night to pull the Rams within five midway through the half.
Jaquan Adams continued his career-high performance, scoring on a tip-in and converting a three-point play to trim the deficit to 68-64. A few minutes later, Wedgeworth-Brown buried a deep three to make it 70-67 with just under six minutes remaining. The Rams' defense generated multiple stops, and their transition attack remained effective, but Concordia answered with timely baskets in the interior and behind the arc to rebuild their lead. McNeal created separation for a late jumper inside the final minute, but despite the Rams' consistent fight and balanced scoring, the Cobbers' efficient shooting down the stretch kept NCU from completing the comeback. North Central would fall 83-73 at home.
Top Performers:
Looking Ahead:
Up next, North Central hits the road for another non-conference matchup as they travel to face the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Wednesday, December 3rd. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM inside Don Page Arena in River Falls, Wisconsin.
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