NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's basketball team recorded its third-straight victory by topping North Central University by a 72-64 margin in non-conference play on Wednesday evening at Skoglund Center.

St. Olaf (3-1) trailed for just 1:43 in the game and used a balanced scoring attack to record its third win in a row after a one-point defeat in its season opener. The Oles doubled up North Central (1-4) in points in the paint, 52-26, in the game and held a 36-12 advantage in bench scoring on the night.

Sophomore Connor Martin had a season-high 12 points, five rebounds, and a career-high seven assists to lead the Oles on a night when all 10 St. Olaf student-athletes to play in the game scored. Senior Dominic Bledsoe – the reigning Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week – was the only other Ole in double figures with 11 points, six rebounds, four steals, and two assists.

Micah Filer scored a game-high 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting to lead three Rams in double figures in scoring. Cameron Thomas added 13 points and five rebounds, while Justin Castro chipped in with 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

St. Olaf led 10-9 at the 13:34 mark of the first half before junior Josh Albers scored the first five points of a 7-0 run to push the Oles' lead to eight at the midway point of the half. North Central quickly got the lead back down to two, 19-17, with an 8-2 run over the next 1:20, only for St. Olaf to score the next six to go back up by eight.

Later in the half, a layup by Edward Speller Jr. and a three-pointer by Micah Filer on either side of a bucket by senior Nathan Hendler gave the Rams their lone leads of the half around the three-minute mark. The Oles scored the final six points of the half over the final 2:38 on three free throws by junior Jake Weber and a three-pointer by junior Charlie Haff to take a 33-29 lead at the break. Nineteen of St. Olaf's 33 points in the opening half came from its bench.

The Oles pushed their lead to six three times in the first six-plus minutes of the second half, but Filer hit back-to-back three-pointers to help the visitors tie it up at 44-44 with 11:51 remaining. A minute later, St. Olaf went on a 7-0 run over the span of 82 seconds, highlighted by a three-point play on a dunk by senior Carter Uphus, to take a 55-46 lead with 9:20 left.

Down the stretch, St. Olaf pushed its lead to 66-56, its largest of the game, with 3:27 left on a three-pointer by Bledsoe. North Central got it down to four, 66-62, with 1:20 remaining but could get no closer as Martin sank all four of his free throws over the final 27 seconds.

Martin had eight points and six assists in the second half as the Oles shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30) after the break. Thirty of St. Olaf's 39 second-half points came in the paint.

The Oles open MIAC play on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at home against Gustavus at 7 p.m.