St. Bonifacius, MN -- North Central University (NCU) Men's Basketball hit the road Saturday afternoon for another conference contest against the Crown College (CC) Polars. The Rams put together one of their most complete offensive performances of the season, building a strong first-half lead and battling until the final buzzer before ultimately falling in a tight road contest, 88-85.
North Central came out firing from the opening tip, knocking down shots at an elite rate and controlling the pace early. Junior forward
Jax Effertz set the tone immediately, burying a three-pointer on the Rams' first possession, and the offense never slowed. Senior guard
Carmello McNeal orchestrated the attack, repeatedly creating open looks while scoring at all three levels. NCU shot a blistering 67.7% from the field in the first half and went 8-for-13 from beyond the arc. Effertz caught fire from deep, hitting four three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, while senior guard
Carrington McNeal added timely buckets in transition and in the paint. The Rams used a 10-0 run midway through the half to push their lead into double digits, highlighted by consecutive steals and scores from the McNeal brothers. Senior guard
Jaquan Adams provided a strong interior presence off the bench, scoring efficiently inside and finishing the half with double-figure points. North Central closed the half strong, scoring 52 points while assisting on 21 made baskets and forcing turnovers that turned into 24 points. NCU led 52-45 after a strong first half.
The Rams continued to execute early in the second half, answering each push with timely baskets and staying aggressive offensively. Effertz and
Carrington McNeal connected on key jumpers to keep NCU within striking distance as the game tightened. Adams remained a steady force inside, finishing through contact and cleaning up on the offensive glass. North Central shot over 54% from the field for the game and finished 11-of-22 from three-point range, marking one of the team's best perimeter shooting performances of the season. Down the stretch,
Carrington McNeal delivered multiple clutch three-pointers, including a pair in the final two minutes that trimmed the deficit to two.
Carmello McNeal followed with a late layup to keep the Rams within one possession in the final seconds. Despite the late push, North Central's comeback effort came up just short as the final horn sounded, falling 88-85.
Top Performers:
Looking Ahead:
Up next, NCU stays on the road with another UMAC Conference test, traveling to face Bethany Lutheran on Saturday, January 24th. Tip-off is set for 2:45 PM inside the North Gym in Mankato, MN.
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.
