ST. PAUL, Minn.-- North Central University (11-14 overall, 9-3 UMAC) won the 2025-26 UMAC Men’s Basketball Regular Season Championship Saturday in the 102-96 win over Bethany Lutheran.

This marks the second overall regular season title in program history for the Rams and second-straight. This is also the second overall and second-straight conference crown under fourth-year head coach Jeremy Becker.

North Central made 10 three-point field goals and shot 50% from the field and 55.6% from beyond the arc in the first half. The Vikings’ Brady Ingersoll converted a three-point play at the end of the frame to slice the Rams’ lead to five (48-43) at halftime.

The score remained close in the second half as the lead stayed in the single digits until a dunk from NCU’s Josh Hoffman gave the home team a 10-point lead (63-53) with 13:58 to go.

BLC battled back towards the end of the game as it compiled a 13-7 run over the final 1:21 to cut the margin to single digits, but it just wasn’t enough to overtake the lead.

Four Rams finished in double digits as Carmello McNeal led the way with a career-high 40 points. Carrington McNeal had 19, Jaquan Adams scored 17 and Remy Wedgeworth-Brown tallied 16. Carrington McNeal was just shy of a double double as he had a team-best nine rebounds and Carmello McNeal’s point total is tied for ninth-best on the UMAC’s single game record list.

The Vikings also had four in double digits as Jack Brockmann had 23 points, Will Walter scored 21, Brady Ingersoll had 16 and Max Briggs tallied 15 points.

North Central held the team advantages in three-point field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds, assists, and blocks.

With the regular season title victory, North Central has clinched the No. 1 seed in the UMAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Rams will host the No. 4 seed, Bethany Lutheran, in a semifinal game on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.