UMAC Game of the Week: North Central vs. Wisconsin-Superior - Women's Basketball

UMAC Game of the Week: North Central vs. Wisconsin-Superior - Women's Basketball

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The UMAC Game of the Week runs each Thursday during the conference regular season and breaks down one key matchup from one sport. 

SUPERIOR, Wis.---The race for a Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) women's basketball postseason spot gets even tighter as the third-to-last Saturday of the regular season approaches with key matchups ahead. The University of Wisconsin-Superior looks to stay on pace with Bethany Lutheran College to win a fifth-straight regular season title, but North Central University hopes to keep their postseason hopes alive and play spoiler when they travel to take on the reigning champs at 4:45 p.m.  

***UPDATE***
Wisconsin-Superior won 63-51

Matchup History
  • Wisconsin-Superior has won all nine games it has played against North Central since joining the league in 2015-16.
  • The Yellowjackets took the first game of the season 76-63 on the Rams' home court on Dec. 7. The Rams outscored the 'Jackets in the fourth quarter and trailed by just nine at the half. 
  • In their final regular season matchup of 2018-19, Wisconsin-Superior clinched the title outright by holding off the Rams' surges in the second and third quarter. The Yellowjackets pulled off a 69-62 win despite leading by as many as 15 and letting the Rams pull within six several times. 

This Season
  • North Central enters Saturday on a three-game losing streak despite nearly knocking off leading Bethany Lutheran Wednesday in a narrow 80-77 loss. The rams were down by 14 with less than two minutes in the third quarter and eventually made it a one-point game with nine seconds left.
  • Prior to their losing streak, the Rams had gone 3-1 in UMAC games in the 2020 portion of the schedule and had won 4-of-5. 
  • Wisconsin-Superior lost its most recent game on Monday 78-53 to the University of Wisconsin-Superior in a non-conference tilt. Prior to that, the 'Jackets had won three-straight conference games and 5-of-6 in 2020.
  • The Yellowjackets' two losses have come against the other two top teams in the league in Bethany Lutheran and the University of Northwestern. The Rams' notable wins include victories over Northwestern and the College of St. Scholastica. 
  • Wisconsin-Superior needs a win to stay on pace with the Vikings and Eagles as they will face both teams in the final week of the season. The Rams are in control of their own destiny as their final four games include matchups with the bottom three teams and the University of Minnesota Morris. The Cougars and Rams are joined by St. Scholastica in a three-way battle for two postseason spots.

North Central Key Players (conference stats)
  • Allison Bulthuis, G - 9.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.5 spg
  • Emily DiGiorgio, G - 16.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 42.5%, 1.5 bpg
  • Naomi Hagstrom, F - 12.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 73.6 FT%

Wisconsin-Superior Key Players (conference stats)
  • Emily Carpenter, G - 15.2 ppg, 47.1 3-pt%, 3.5 apg, 2.9 spg
  • Eva Reinertsen, F - 18.8 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 44.1%, 84.6 FT%, 4.0 apg, 2.3 A/TO, 1.5 bpg
  • Marissa Ruiz, G - 12.1 ppg, 35.7 3-pt%, 2.3 apg, 1.8 spg

Game Information
  • Superior, Wisconsin, Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium, University of Wisconsin-Superior
  • Saturday, Feb. 8, 4:45 p.m.
  • Live Stats
  • Live Video
UMAC Game of the Week Archives