SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UW-Superior women's basketball team overcame a 35-29 halftime deficit, holding visiting North Central to just 16 points in the second half, for a 63-51 victory at Mertz Mortorelli Gym on Saturday.
 
Senior Marissa Ruiz (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) scored a career-high 22 points and classmate Eva Reinertsen (Duluth, Minn./Homeschooled) added 19 as the Yellowjackets secured a place in the upcoming Upper Midwest Athletic Conference tournament with the victory. UWS is now 14-7 overall and 10-2 in the league, dropping North Central to 9-13 and 5-7.
 
Ruiz scored 17 in the second half as the 'Jackets picked up their play in the final 20 minutes, shooting 42 percent after halftime.
 
UWS knotted the game at 39-39 with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter on a layup by Emily Carpenter (St. Peter, Minn./St. Peter), assisted by Ellie Leadstrom (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), before a bucket and two free throws by Naomi Hagstrom restored the Rams' advantage to 43-39. Carpenter answered with a jumper from Kaelyn Christian (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville Senior) to send her team into the fourth quarter down two points.
 
The teams traded baskets until Ruiz scored seven straight points – including a 3-pointer – to give Superior a 53-47 lead with five minutes play. Following an Emily DiGiorgio layup, Ruiz drained another trey and layup, pushing the lead to 60-49. Ruiz added a final basket two possessions later.
 
The 'Jackets led, 21-13, after the first quarter, but were stifled by the Rams in the second, being held to just eight points.
 
DiGiorgio led the Rams with 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Hagstrom had 14 points and Kadija Conteh 11.
 
Superior held a 41-34 rebounding edge for the game.
 
UWS is back in action Wednesday at St. Scholastica at 7:15 p.m.