Newcomer paces Wildcats with 21 points
CHICAGO – Despite a 22-2 Roosevelt run in the fourth quarter, the No. 17 Northern Michigan Wildcats persevered for an 83-82 road victory on Saturday afternoon.
With eight minutes left, the Wildcats seemed to have the game in control with a comfortable 68-52 advantage. But Roosevelt stormed back, going on a 22-2 surge over the next four minutes to take a 74-70 lead.
With their backs against the wall in an intensifying gym, Northern responded with a crucial 8-1 run to regain control. The stretch included a step-back three from Sarah Newcomer that pushed the lead to four with 50 seconds left.
The Wildcats went 8-for-9 at the free-throw line in the final frame, including a 3-for-4 mark from CJ Romero in the final 15 seconds to extend the lead to four. That margin proved decisive when the Lakers hit a three at the horn for the 83-82 final.
Newcomer led the way with a season-high 21 points, 14 of which came in the second half. She shot 8-16 from the floor, collected five rebounds, dished out three assists, and added a block and a steal. Jacy Weisbrod followed with 17 points, while Alyssa Hill chipped in 12. Roosevelt’s Isabella Pitta scored a game-high 24 points, followed by Kelly Boyle with 17.
Northern shot 30-60 (50%) overall, 6-18 (33.3%) from three, and 17-19 (89.5%) at the free-throw line. Roosevelt finished 28-70 (40%) from the field and 11-30 (36.7%) from deep.
The win moves the No. 17 Wildcats to 10-1 on the season and 2-0 in the GLIAC. The Lakers dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
How it Happened
Northern started strong, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in under two minutes behind a Newcomer three and back-to-back layups from Hill. The Wildcats opened 4-5 from the field, but Roosevelt stayed close by crashing the offensive glass. The Lakers grabbed four offensive rebounds in the frame and converted each into second-chance points, trimming the deficit to one twice before NMU carried a 15-12 lead into the quarter break.
Weisbrod opened the second with a three, followed by one from Romero to keep NMU in front 25-20. The Wildcats continued to find rhythm from deep as Addison Pytleski drilled a triple to stretch it to 29-20 midway through the period. Madison Schroeder then took over, attacking the rim for two driving layups and adding a pair of free throws as Northern pushed the margin to 37-26 with 2:21 remaining. NMU outscored Roosevelt 26-19 in the second to take a 41-31 halftime lead, fueled by a decisive difference from three where the Wildcats were 4-11, while the Lakers managed just 1-10.
In the third, Pytleski was fouled on a three and sank all three free throws, and Weisbrod followed with her second triple of the night to push the lead to 51-38 early in the half. Roosevelt countered as Boyle knocked down back-to-back threes to trim the margin to seven, but Northern had a quick answer. Newcomer delivered consecutive buckets, including an and-one, to restore the lead to double digits. NMU maintained that cushion the rest of the quarter and entered the fourth up 62-50.
Looking to put the game away, Northern opened the fourth with back-to-back paint scores from Faith Walder and Hill to push the lead to 16. Roosevelt answered with its biggest surge of the night, using three straight threes to ignite a 12-0 run that cut it to 68-64 with 5:37 to play. The Lakers kept rolling as Isabel Lindo buried a three and added a layup, and Boyle followed with another triple to give Roosevelt a 74-70 advantage and cap a stunning 22-2 run.
Northern responded with composure, tying it at 74-all as the clock dipped under two minutes. Weisbrod then drew a foul on a three-point attempt and knocked down all three free throws to put NMU back on top 77-76. Moments later, Newcomer delivered a clutch step-back three to make it 80-76 with 50 seconds remaining.
Romero added a pair of critical free throws with 15 seconds left to make it 82-77. She split another trip in the closing seconds. That point proved vital, as Roosevelt drilled a three at the horn to set the 83-82 final.
Up Next
The Wildcats will have one more game before the New Year, as they will host Northwood on Wednesday, December 17, at 5:30 p.m.
