In a must-win game against Ridgewater, the Golden Rams walked away with a 65-53 win Saturday afternoon. Having lost 3 of the last 4 games, Anoka-Ramsey couldn’t afford to lose any ground to the teams ahead of them.

Working hard at the defensive end, Anoka-Ramsey held the Warriors to 23 first half points, gaining a 28-23 half time advantage. Successfully slowing down Ridgewater’s inside game, the Golden Rams needed to slow down the Warrior’s Tara Thielke who had 14 of 23 first half points.

Alyssa Silva proved to be the answer for Anoka-Ramsey as she held Thielke only 7 points in the second half. The Golden Ram’s defense continued to hold strong, shutting down the taller Ridgewater interior game.

Kate Bement led the Golden Rams with 17 points, followed by Desirae Robinson with 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Carri Roline with 11 points and 17 rebounds.

Anoka-Ramsey’s win coupled with loses by MN West and Fergus Falls puts ARCC in a 3 way tie for 3rd place in the MCAC Southern Division and their post season playoff hopes are very much alive. The top 4 teams from the MCAC Southern Division will advance to the MCAC State Tournament to be held at Ridgewater, February 27, 28 and March 1.