Eleven Wildcats score in 73-46 win
MARQUETTE, Mich. – After more than two weeks off during the holiday break, the No. 12 Northern Michigan Wildcats didn’t skip a beat, defeating the Davenport Panthers 73-46 on Friday afternoon.
Jacy Weisbrod surpassed 1,000 career points in the victory, becoming just the 29th player in program history to reach one of basketball’s most coveted milestones. She had a game-high 15 points.
After Weisbrod, Alyssa Hill added 12 points and seven boards and is now just 13 points shy of reaching 1,000 career collegiate points herself. Reide Osterman led the way on the glass with eight rebounds. Sydney Whitehouse and Jordyn Schmittdiel also had seven, as the four led NMU to a commanding 51-30 advantage on the glass.
Both teams fell short of 40% shooting, with the Wildcats going 27-68 (39.7%) and the Panthers at 17-55 (30.9%), the second-lowest mark for the Green and Gold defensive unit this season. Northern was 6-28 (21.4%) from three, while Davenport was 3-13 (23.1%).
The Wildcats have now won six straight games and are 12-1 overall, setting up a monumental matchup on Saturday with No. 1 Grand Valley State (11-0).
How it Happened
Northern showed some early rust after not playing for more than two weeks, struggling to find its rhythm in the opening minutes. The first points came two minutes in, when Jacy Weisbrod broke through with a three-pointer. Davenport responded with the next seven points as NMU committed four turnovers in the first four minutes of play.
Northern began to settle in as the quarter progressed. CJ Romero added a triple of her own to put the Wildcats back in front, 10-9, with four minutes remaining. The opening period remained tight throughout, with Northern holding a narrow 16-14 edge after one.
Momentum swung in the Wildcats’ favor early in the second quarter. Weisbrod reached the 1,000-point milestone in her career in fitting fashion, knocking down a three. Sarah Newcomer followed with one of her own as NMU started to create separation. Back-to-back layups from Alyssa Hill capped a 7-0 run that stretched the lead into double figures, 33-22, with 3:22 left in the half.
Northern closed the half on a strong note, carrying a 37-28 advantage into the break after Faith Walder drove to the basket and finished with a left-handed layup in the closing seconds. At halftime, the Wildcats had forced 10 Davenport turnovers and controlled the glass 23-14. Weisbrod led all scorers with 12 points, while Reide Osterman made her presence felt off the bench, pulling down five rebounds in just eight minutes.
The Wildcats opened the second half with their best stretch of the night, making their first five shots to begin pulling away. Northern scored 12 points in the first 3:35 of the quarter, building the lead to 49-32 and putting Davenport on its heels.
Offense slowed for both teams down the stretch of the third. NMU managed just three points over the final 6:25, but Davenport was unable to capitalize, scoring only four points during the same window. Despite finishing the quarter 1-11 from the field, Northern maintained control and took a 52-36 lead into the fourth.
Weisbrod once again opened the scoring with a three to begin the final quarter, marking the third time she started NMU’s scoring from beyond the arc. Walder provided a spark shortly after, scoring back-to-back layups as part of an 8-0 run that pushed the Wildcats’ advantage to 65-40 with six minutes remaining.
From there, Northern was able to comfortably cruise to the victory, maintaining control on both ends and clearing the bench in the final minutes.
Up Next
The Wildcats will play in one of the biggest games across the Division II landscape tomorrow, taking on No. 1 Grand Valley State at 1 p.m.
