St. Paul, MN -- The North Central University (NCU) men's basketball team hit the road Saturday afternoon for a highly awaited conference showdown against the University of Northwestern (UNW) Eagles, delivering one of its most complete performances of the season in a 92-75 victory. Coming off a strong win over Morris earlier in the week, the Rams wasted no time asserting themselves as they continue to build momentum toward a postseason push. This victory marks the first-ever season sweep over Northwestern in program history. Senior Carrington McNeal continued to pace the Rams with a 28-point, 11-rebound double-double on 71% shooting from the field, 67% from three, and 86% from the charity stripe.

North Central established control from the opening tip. Senior guard Carrington McNeal set the tone on the glass and in transition, while senior forward Elijah Smith opened the scoring with a put-back layup. Moments later, senior guard Carmello McNeal buried a three-pointer to ignite an early run. From there, the Rams exploded. Junior forward Jax Effertz knocked down back-to-back triples during a 17-1 surge that forced an early timeout. North Central attacked the paint relentlessly, scoring 52 points in the paint on the evening, and converted efficiently at every level. Senior guard Remy Wedgeworth-Brown controlled tempo and found shooters in rhythm, while senior guard Jaquan Adams provided a spark off the bench with strong finishes at the rim. Defensively, the Rams swarmed, holding the Eagles to just 37.5% shooting in the first half and forcing contested shots throughout. Carrington McNeal dominated the glass early, grabbing rebounds in traffic and jump starting fast breaks. North Central shot an impressive 59.5% (22-of-37) from the field in the opening 20 minutes and closed the half on a three from McNeal to take a commanding 49-30 lead into the break.

The Rams picked up right where they left off to start the second half. Wedgeworth-Brown opened the half with a strong finish inside, and Carmello McNeal followed with a three-pointer to stretch the advantage past 20. At one point, North Central built its largest lead of the afternoon at 62-33, fueled by defensive stops and transition opportunities. Carrington McNeal continued his all-around dominance, finishing through contact and converting at the line down the stretch. Effertz added timely buckets inside, while Smith cleaned up rebounds and finished efficiently around the rim. Although Northwestern found some rhythm midway through the half, the Rams never allowed the game to become competitive. North Central shot 55.2% (16-of-29) in the second half and an outstanding 57.6% overall (38-of-66) for the game. The Rams also capitalized on ball movement, dishing out 15 assists, and generated 10 fast-break points while holding a decisive 39-25 rebounding advantage. North Central closed out the final minutes at the free throw line and with strong defensive possessions to secure the 92-75 conference victory.

Top Performers: 

• Carrington McNeal: 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists
• Carmello McNeal: 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists
• Remy Wedgeworth-Brown: 17 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds
• Jax Effertz: 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists

Looking Ahead: 

Up next, the Rams head south to take on the Martin Luther College Knights on Wednesday, February 18th. Tip-off is set for 7:15 PM inside the LSC Gymnasium in New Ulm, 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.