De Pere, WI -- Monday marked another road test for the North Central University (NCU) men's basketball squad as the Rams traveled to compete in the Nicolet National Bank Holiday Tournament hosted by St. Norbert College. North Central opened the tournament against a nationally ranked opponent according to
D3Hoops, squaring off with the #3 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) Eagles in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Despite the final score, the Rams showed composure, offensive efficiency, and competitiveness early, trading blows throughout a high-level first half before the game tilted in the final 20 minutes. Senior guard
Carrington McNeal led the way offensively, continuing his strong play against elite competition.
North Central wasted no time settling into the neutral-site environment, opening the game with confident ball movement and perimeter shooting. Senior guard
Carrington McNeal set the tone early, knocking down a pair of triples and attacking the paint to give the Rams an early scoring punch. NCU shot an impressive 55.6% from the field in the opening half and connected on 8-of-15 attempts from beyond the arc, keeping the game tight throughout the first 10 minutes. The Rams leaned on balanced contributions to match every surge, with junior forward
Jax Effertz providing a spark by drilling three first-half three-pointers and finishing efficiently around the rim. Senior guard
Remy Wedgeworth-Brown helped facilitate the offense, recording multiple assists while spacing the floor, and senior guard
Carmello McNeal added timely perimeter scoring and defensive pressure. North Central showed resilience late in the half, responding to a brief run by closing the final minutes strong. McNeal converted key free throws and Effertz buried another three to give the Rams a one-point edge with under two minutes remaining. Despite a late push, NCU went into halftime within striking distance, trailing 46-42 after a highly competitive opening half.
The Rams continued to compete early in the second half, with Effertz opening the period with a three-pointer and Carrington adding another deep ball to keep the margin manageable. However, North Central faced challenges as the pace increased, and the Rams were unable to replicate their first-half shooting efficiency. NCU shot just 31% from the field in the second half, while still battling on the glass and continuing to attack offensively.
Carrington McNeal remained aggressive, finishing with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting while adding five assists, five rebounds, and a block. Senior guard
Jaquan Adams provided a strong presence off the bench, scoring 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and adding three rebounds and a block. The Rams' bench accounted for 31 points, with contributions from junior guard
Jamisen Young, junior guard
Connor Yslas, and junior guard
Jayden Livingston, who combined to give NCU valuable minutes and production. Defensively, North Central forced 12 turnovers and recorded four blocks, continuing to compete despite the scoreline stretching late. North Central continued to fight through the final horn, showing flashes of execution and toughness against one of the nation's top programs, before the game concluded at 101-68.
Top Performers:
Looking Ahead:
Up next, North Central returns to the Nicolet National Bank Holiday Tournament tomorrow, December 30th, for a consolation matchup against St. Olaf College. That game is set to tip-off at 5:00 PM from the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center in De Pere, Wisconsin.
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.
