Minneapolis, MN -- Wednesday night, North Central University (NCU) women's basketball faced the Northland College (NC) Lumberjills at home for the second time this season. In the previous meeting between these squads, the Rams came out on top with a final score of 79-41. This evening, North Central would once again defeat Northland with a final score of 64-23. Current UMAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week, Kaitlyn VanderPloeg, led the Rams with her ninth double-double performance of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. 

North Central absolutely dominated the first quarter of action. Senior Kaitlyn VanderPloeg got things rolling offensively with 10 first-quarter points as Northland could not match her size down low. Defensively, NCU was able to hold the Lumberjills to zero points in the first quarter. Brycelyn Brewster and McKenzie Latzke were the other Rams to contribute offensively in the first quarter as they found themselves in the driver's seat up 16-0.

As the second quarter was underway, the Rams continued to put points on the board as they increased the lead to 21-0 before the Lumberjills finally scored midway through the quarter. However, North Central would cool off a bit as well as they scored just 9 points to Northland's 2 in the second quarter. NCU led 25-2 at halftime. 

The teams returned from the half, and the Rams continued to grow their commanding lead over the Lumberjills. Jackie Lindsay and Piper Flemming got on the board early on to extend the lead. Additionally, Kaitlyn VanderPloeg was particularly effective, totaling 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the quarter. North Central's depth was evident as they made multiple substitutions, keeping the pressure on Northland throughout the quarter. The Rams continued to lead 42-13 heading into the fourth. 

The final quarter of the game is what sealed the deal for NCU. The Rams opened things with a 9-0 run to start. Brewster and Lindsay had notable contributions to help close the game for the Rams, scoring inside and generating second-chance opportunities for their team. As much as Northland attempted to get something moving offensively, North Central's lead was insurmountable for the Jills. Ultimately, the game concluded with a final score of 64-23 in favor of the Rams.

Top Performers:

• Kaitlyn VanderPloeg: 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks
• Brycelyn Brewster: 10 points and 2 steals
• Savi Rael: 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals

Looking Ahead:

Up next, the Rams will travel to Crown College to face the Polars. The game is slated for Saturday, February 8th at 2:45 PM.

All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on women's basketball and all things NCU Athletics.