River Falls, WI -- Wednesday, the North Central University (NCU) men's basketball team headed back on the road for a non-conference matchup against the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) Falcons. After gaining valuable experience through a challenging early-season slate, the Rams aimed to build on their recent progress inside Don Page Arena. Last season's contest in Minneapolis was tight throughout, and this year's meeting carried similar competitive energy as North Central pushed the Falcons deep into the second half behind efficient scoring from senior guard Carmello McNeal and senior guard Carrington McNeal. Despite several second-half surges and big defensive plays, the Rams ultimately came up short in an 87-78 battle.

North Central opened the night with pace and precision, striking first when senior guard Carrington McNeal buried a three on the opening possession, assisted by senior guard Carmello McNeal. The Rams kept attacking early, with senior forward Elijah Smith finishing in transition and later converting on a downhill drive to help NCU jump out to an 8-2 advantage. The Rams showed strong ball movement through the first stretch of the half. Carrington hit another three in rhythm, Carmello knocked down a midrange jumper, and NCU generated several quality looks in the paint. The early efficiency from the McNeal brothers set the tone, combining for multiple assisted baskets and forcing the Falcons to adjust defensively. UWRF responded with a perimeter surge of its own, using timely threes to counter NCU's fast start and eventually taking a 16-12 lead. Smith, junior forward Jax Effertz, and junior guard Jamisen Young steadied the Rams' offense through the middle portion of the half, highlighted by Carmello's transition three and a fastbreak triple from Effertz that tied the game at 20-20. The Rams remained composed even as the Falcons traded baskets. Junior forward Connor Yslas provided a critical spark late in the period, hitting a deep three with 14 seconds remaining to pull NCU within 39-36 heading into the break. At halftime, North Central had hit six threes, forced 10 turnovers, and used their speed to generate 14 points on second chances and 13 points off turnovers.

North Central came out with energy to start the second half as Smith scored in transition, and Carrington followed with a tip-in to keep the Rams within striking distance. After UWRF briefly extended the lead, NCU countered with a series of strong plays: a pair of free throws from Carrington, a fastbreak three from Carmello, and a corner three from Young that made it 54-55. Moments later, Carmello buried another three to tie the game at 59-59 with just over 10 minutes left, capping an impressive run where NCU held the Falcons scoreless in transition and capitalized on mistakes. On the next possession, senior guard Jaquan Adams found space for a driving finish, narrowing the gap to 61-62. The Rams continued to force turnovers, finishing with 11 steals on the night, and generated back-to-back scoring plays when Effertz drilled a three and Young converted a fastbreak layup to trim the deficit to 71–68 inside the six-minute mark. Young then sank two free throws to make it a one-point game at 71-70 as North Central continued applying pressure. However, the Falcons answered with a decisive late run, capitalizing on free throws and a pair of timely baskets to create separation down the stretch. Carmello and Carrington each added key scores in the final minutes, but the Falcons' efficiency at the rim and free-throw line ultimately held off NCU's surge. Despite the final score, the Rams showed clear offensive rhythm, generating 26 fastbreak points, 36 points in the paint, and 20 bench points, while shooting 42% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.

Top Performers:

Carmello McNeal: 23 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals
Carrington McNeal: 21 points, 3 assists, 3, rebounds, and 3 steals
Jamisen Young: 11 points and 3 steals

Looking Ahead:

Up next, North Central continues its road stretch with another non-conference matchup as they travel to face the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Saturday, December 6th. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 PM inside Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

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