Ashland, WI - Despite a valiant second half comeback, the Northland College Lumberjills fell to the Rams of North Central University on Wednesday night in Ashland.  It was an exciting UMAC game that featured seven lead changes and the score was tied nine times.  
 
Early on the score stayed close, but then fouls began to mount for the Jills which got North Central to the charity stripe a lot in the first half.  After Miranda Wagner knotted the score up at 11, the Rams went on a run to go up 20-11, most of those points coming from the free throw line. After two free throws from Sruti Bhakti and a bucket by Sarah Dunbar, the Jills fouled as the quarter expired and the Rams led 22-15 after the first quarter. 
 
The Jills fought back in the second quarter despite the foul trouble.  Bailey Wynn hit a 3-pointer with 3:04 to go which brought the Jills within two points. 39-37.  Autumn Ninke was fouled on the next Northland possession and split the pair to get the Jills within one point.  Wynn then picked up her third personal foul with 1:38 to go in the half.  The Rams hit more free throws and a 3-pointer of their own as a the quarter expired to head into the locker room up 46-38.  North Central went to the free throw line 17 times in the first half and converted on 15, for 88%.  The Jills stayed within striking distance by forcing the Rams into 12 first half turnovers. 
 
North Central's Emily DiGiorgio scored the first four points of the second half, but the Jills weren't done.  Bianca Avalos and Wynn fueled an offensive run for Northland which brought them within 2, 53-31.  Ashley Lopez found Wagner underneath to tie the score up again at 53 with 2:10 left in the quarter.  Avalos split a pair of free throws to give the Jills their first second half lead.  Both teams traded baskets as the quarter was winding down.  Ninke was fouled with 2.1 left and she split the pair to give the Jills the lead 60-59 after three quarters.  Northland outscored North Central 22-13 in the third. 
 
The Rams went on another run in the fourth quarter and took the lead back from the Jills.  North Central was up 74-66 midway through the quarter.   The Jills had trouble getting a defensive stop, but Avalos continued to deliver offensively as she scored in the lane and from behind the arc on the next two possessions for Northland.  That brought the Rams lead to 6, 80-74 with 3:01 left to play.  After trading baskets again, Northland was down 2 with less than a minute to go.  Avalos missed a tough shot in the paint and the Rams secured the rebound.  DiGiorgio hit 3 of 4 free throws to seal the win for the Rams as the Jills were forced to foul.  
 
DiGiorgio finished with 34 points, 21 in the first half.  Naomi Hagstrom added 23 for the Rams.  Avalos and Dunbar had 20 points each for the Jills and Wagner and Wynn both chipped in 13 a piece.  
 
The Lumberjills will end their season on the road as they travel to St. Bonifacius, MN to face the Crown College on Saturday afternoon.