Minneapolis, MN -- This evening, the men's basketball team from North Central University (NCU) hosted a matchup against the Northland College (NC) Lumberjacks. When these two teams faced each other earlier this season, the Rams defeated the Lumberjacks by a final score of 101-69. Tonight, North Central would take care of business once again, settling the score at 82-62. NCU Men's Basketball rises to the top of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference standings improving to 12-8 overall and 6-3 in conference play. 

North Central showcased a dominant performance throughout the first half, with significant contributions from several Rams. Cameron Thomas got the game started with a good tip-in, and Tanner Holtman gave the Rams momentum early on with several made three-pointers. They capitalized on Northland turnovers, converting them into fast-break points on the other end. NCU forced the Lumberjacks to turn the ball over 16 times in the first half. The team demonstrated their accuracy from deep with several successful three-pointers, especially from players like Nik Feller and Holtman. Their defense clamped down toward the end of the first half, only allowing 6 points in the final 7 minutes of action. The Rams led 42-23 heading into the break. 

As the Rams returned from the half, the offensive surge didn't slow down as NCU opened the second with 10 straight points. The team displayed great ball movement, with several assists from players like Remy Wedgeworth-Brown and Malik Siggers. With 13:48 to play, Carmello McNeal would drain yet another three to give North Central its largest lead of the evening at 38 points. Towards the end of the second half, the Lumberjacks started to make a run in an attempt to fight back into the contest. Northland managed to curate an 18-0 run while the Rams went stagnant offensively.  As the second half came to a close, players like Steven Colon and Carmello McNeal sustained the Rams offensively to keep them out in front. The game concluded with an 82-62 victory for the North Central. 

Top Performers:

• Tanner Holtman: 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals
• Cameron Thomas: 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals
• Carmello McNeal: 10 points and 3 steals
• Steven Colon: 9 points (9 mins. played)

Looking Ahead:

The Rams will travel to St. Bonifacius to face the Crown College (CC) Polars this Saturday, February 8th. The game will begin at 1:00 PM.

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.