Wildcats host SVSU March 5 in GLIAC Quarterfinal
HAMMOND, Ind. – The Northern Michigan women’s basketball team will be riding a three-game winning streak into next week’s GLIAC Quarterfinals after defeating the Purdue Northwest Pride 81-66 in the final game of the regular season.
At 21-7 overall and 15-5 in the conference, the Green and Gold are the No. 2 seed for the GLIAC Tournament and will host No. 7 Saginaw Valley State (15-13, 9-11) on Wednesday, March 5 at Vandament Arena. The Cardinals defeated Ferris State 70-67 on Saturday to move up to the conference’s seventh slot.
Saturday’s game marked a milestone for Kayla Tierney. Playing in her 134th career game, she became the program’s all-time leader in games played, surpassing Makaylee Kuhn’s 133.
The Wildcats did not trail, shooting 30-64 (46.9%) from the field and 12-27 (44.4%) from beyond the arc. Four ‘Cats connected on threes, but Jacy Weisbrod sparked the charge with five triples in the first half and a season-high seven triples on 11 attempts for the game. She led the way with 23 points. Alyssa Nimz followed with 12 while Alyssa Hill and Sydney Whitehouse also reached double figures with 10.
Northern also dominated down low, leading in rebounds 45-28 and points in the paint 30-12. Nimz paced the efforts with eight rebounds while eight others recorded at least two.
The Pride shot an efficient 12-24 (50.0%) from three and were led by Akyia Baker with 18 points on a perfect 4-4 mark from beyond the arc.
How it Happened
It was an electric start from three for Weisbrod, draining three triples in the first 2:30 to quickly get Northern in front 11-2.
The Wildcats went scoreless for nearly five minutes after that, missing five shots in the drought. NMU would briefly push its lead to 10 late in the first, but a Pride three closed the gap to 17-10 after one. NMU shot 6-15 (40.0%) while limiting PNW to just 4-18 (22.2%).
Purdue Northwest answered with a hot start to the second, going on an 11-2 run with a sequence of threes to tie the game at 21-21 with 4:30 to go. NMU would close the half scoring 10 of the final 14, with Weisbrod adding two more threes for a first-half total of five. The Wildcats led 31-25 after shooting 6-16 (37.5%) in the second quarter. Weisbrod poured in 15 in the half, going 5-8 on her shot attempts that all came from deep.
Out of halftime, Sarah Newcomer added a three, Northern’s first from someone other than Weisbrod. That’d set the tone for an offensive explosion in the quarter. NMU poured in 33 points, going 6-8 (75.0%) from three. Newcomer and Nimz each hit one, with Weisbrod and Whitehouse connecting on two. Whitehouse’s second beat the buzzer, as the ‘Cats closed the third on a 16-3 run to lead 64-47.
Northern shot 12-19 (63.2%) in the quarter while the Pride weren’t too shabby themselves, going 7-12 (58.3%).
Newcomer added another three in the fourth for good measure and the Wildcats led by as many as 20 at 75-55 with 3:47 to play. The Wildcats shot 6-14 (42.9%) over the final 10 minutes.
Up Next
The Wildcats will now gear up for the GLIAC Tournament. The quarterfinal round will begin on Wednesday, March 5, with NMU hosting Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals got the better of the Wildcats 67-51 on January 18 in Marquette.
