MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan women's basketball team (9-4, 2-1) will look to bounce back from a tough loss to No.1 Grand Valley last weekend as they'll host Lake Superior State (1-11, 0-3) on Thursday, January 11 at 5:30 p.m. The Cats' will then prepare to battle another top-ranked team with No. 11 Ferris State University (8-2, 2-1) in town on Saturday, January 13 at 1 p.m. 


Follow The Action
Follow @NMU_WBBall and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the race. 

Thursday, January 11 - vs. Lake Superior State at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets  |  Watch  |  Live Stats  |  Listen
Game Host: State Farm / Jill Leonard

Saturday, January 13 - vs. Ferris State University at 1 p.m.
Tickets  |  Watch  |  Live Stats  |  Listen
Game Host: Border Grill / Yoop Coop


A Word From Casey Thousand
"Our team is excited to have their first game back in the Berry. It's the GLIAC and nothing is going to be easy. We are excited to be back and we have to be ready to go each and every game."



Last Time Out
Northern was last on the court on January 6th, where they started out hot vs No.1 Grand Valley. The Cats' were in the lead 23-11 late in the first quarter, but were outscored 53-24 the rest of the match in a 64-47 defeat on the road. 

Northern played a near perfect first quarter, shooting 5-6 from deep. From there on, No. 1 Grand Valley squad its No. 2 ranked defense imposed their will, holding NMU to 10-41 (24.4%) shooting in the final three frames. The paint was a key to success for Grand Valley, outrebounding NMU 42-35 and scoring 34 points in the paint to just 20 for the 'Cats.

Makaylee Kuhn scored 11 for the 'Cats and added five assists as she is now just eight points off of the all-time Northern scoring mark. Sarah Newcomer added 11 points on three shots from deep while Ana Rhude posted a near double-double with 10 points and nine boards.


Cat Nips

• Closing in on History: Makaylee Kuhn currently has 1,691 career points. That mark is nine points off of the all-time NMU lead (1,699 points - Lisa Jamula). Kuhn is second in the conference averaging 17.0 ppg and is fourth at 7.6 rpg. Kuhn is 58-70 (82.9%) from the free throw line this season, good for fourth in the GLIAC. She is a three-time All-GLIAC First Teamer and was named to the Preseason First Team. 
• Northern leads the GLIAC in fewest turnovers/game (12.0), which is the sixth best mark in the country. Northern is third in the conference in rebounding margin (6.8) and FT percentage (75.8%). As a team, NMU allows just 6.3 offensive rebounds/game to opponents, the fewest across conference teams. 
• After struggling from the three-point line a season ago where they went just 121-454 (26.7%), the 'Cats have made tremendous progress beyond the arc so far this season, as they lead the GLIAC in made threes (105-298 - 35.2%). Sarah Newcomer has led the way from downtown, as she is tied for the GLIAC leads with 28 made threes and first in FT percentage for those that have average over three attempts/game (43.8%). 
• Sarah Newcomer has made a triple in all but one game this season. She has scored in double figures in five of her last seven while shooting 18-36 (50.0%) from three during that stretch. Mackenzie Holzwart is averaging 7.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, and 5.8 rpg. Holzwart also leads the team with 18 steals on the season. She is third in the GLIAC in assists and is first among conference guards in defensive rebounds (4.5). 
• The Green and Gold present a balanced scoring attack, as nine different 'Cats have recorded a double-digit output game this season.

Notes on Lake Superior State
The Lakers sit at 1-11 on the season and 0-3 in the GLIAC, dropping their last two contests overall. Lake Superior is 1-7 away from their home court. LSSU is shooting 35.2% from the field, 27.2% from three, and 73.1% from the charity stripe, all are bottom marks in conference besides free throw percentage which is sixth in conference.

The Lakers are eighth in scoring in the conference at 59.1 points/game. They are led by forward Grace Bradford who is averaging 12.8 points/game to go along with 10.8 rebounds/game, the top mark in the conference. 

NMU got the best of LSSU in the two meetings a season ago. The 'Cats claimed a 72-64 win in Marquette and followed it with a 50-34 victory in Sault Ste. Marie. Makaylee Kuhn led the Wildcats averaging 20 points in the two contests. The Cats' are currently on a six-game winning streak vs. the Lakers. 


Notes on Ferris State
The 8-2 Bulldogs enter this week as the No. 11 ranked team in the country. Ferris State has gone 3-0 at home, and are 5-2 on the road. 

Ferris State averages 76.9 points/game while allowing just 59.9 points/game, the second best across the DII landscape. The Bulldogs rank 12th in the nation in scoring margin (17.0), field goal percentage (45.8%), and rebounding margin (7.5). Ferris State is third in the country in assist/turnover ratio (1.32). 

The Bulldogs present a balanced attack, with three averaging in double figures and six contributing at least six points each game. Senior forward Chloe Idoni leads the way with 17.4 ppg, while Mallory McCartney orchestrates the offense averaging 5.5 apg and 12.6 ppg. 

FSU got the best of NMU in two meetings a season ago. The Cats' fell short 60-54 at home and 72-55 in Big Rapids. The Wildcats have not beaten the Bulldogs since 2021, when Makaylee Kuhn posted 31 points.