MARQUETTE, Mich. - Riding a four-game winning streak to open the season, the Northern Michigan University women's basketball team will head to Minnesota to take on a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) teams this weekend. 

The 'Cats will face Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, November 23, at 1 p.m. ET, and St. Cloud State on Sunday, November 24, at 12 p.m. ET.  

Saturday's game can be listened to on 100.3 The Point, with Casey Ford on the call. 


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

Saturday, November 23 - vs. Minnesota Duluth at 1 p.m.
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Sunday, November 24 - vs. St. Cloud State at 12 p.m.
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A Word from Casey Thousand
"Now we're going to go on the road and it's a tough environment to play in. They're [both] tough teams, a tough conference, and they're coming for us just like we're coming for them."



About the 'Cats
This past weekend, the Green and Gold picked up a pair of home wins, 85-69 against Minnesota Crooksten and 80-51 against Bemidji State. 

After 26 points and 27 points last weekend, Jacy Weisbrod is the reigning GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week as she currently placed 3rd in the GLIAC in scoring, and leads the team with an average of 16.5 points per game. Weisbrod also paces the league with 13 triples after leading the way last season with 92. 

Not too far behind is Sarah Newcomer, who averages 13 points per game, and is ranked 15th in the conference in scoring. 

NMU ranks T-17th nationally in blocks per game (5.0), 25th in rebounds per game (46.3), and 29th in field goal percentage defense (32.8). 

Alyssa Nimz holds Northern's forefront in rebounds. Ranking 8th in the GLIAC on the glass, Nimz holds a record of 29 rebounds in total so far this season, and averaging 7.3 a game. Transfer Alyssa Hill trails closely, with 26 rebounds in total, and a 6.5 total rebound average. 

Head coach Casey Thousand has accrued a record of 41-23 (.641). Last year, Northern went 22-10 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, defeating Kentucky Wesleyan to make the Round of 32.


A Look at Minnesota Duluth
The Bulldogs currently hold a record of 1-2, as this past weekend, the team lost to Parkside, 79-69. Last season, the Bulldogs went 19-10 overall, falling 83-75 against the University of Mary in the NSIC Semifinals. 

Myra Moorjani leads Minnesota Duluth in scoring, averaging 20 points per game, and is placed 5th in the NSIC. Claire Bjorge follows, as she is 8th in the Northern Sun conference, averaging 16.3 points a game. Bjorge and Johanna Miller pace the Bulldogs in rebounds, both totaling 17 so far this season, and having an average of 5.7. 

With a field goal percentage of 45.9%, UMD is 40.3% from the three-point arc and proving to be successful from the free-throw line, with an 82.5 percentage rate. Duluth's offense is ranked 3rd in the conference as they average 79.3 points per game. 

As a tie of 8-8 holds in the history books between the Wildcats and the Bulldogs, the 'Cats fell to the 63-42 in their last matchup a season ago. Northern's last win against Minnesota Duluth was in 2021, where the 'Cats had a 68-57 victory. 


A Look at St. Cloud State
Starting their season off strong, the Huskies came out victorious against Central Oklahoma (68-63) and Washburn University (63-51) two weekends ago. 

The team is led by Jada Eggebrecht in scoring, as she has a 14.5 scoring average per game and is ranked 13th in the NSIC. On the defensive side, Ashley Sawicki ranks 1st in the conference for rebounds, with 23 in total so far for the season, and averaging 11.5 per game. 

This season, St. Cloud holds a 39.7 field-goal percentage, 32.8% from three, and 11.8% from the foul line. The team's defense is ranked 2nd in the NSIC, while their offense is ranked 10th. 

Last season, the Huskies went 18-10, also losing against the University of Mary 75-61. 

The Wildcats and Huskies' last matchup ended in a loss for the 'Cats 66-56. NMU is on a three-game skid against SCSU, with its last win coming in 2019, a 55-53 triumph at home. 


GLIAC Preseason Poll
1.  Grand Valley State, 100 (10)
2.  Ferris State, 83 (1)
3.  Northern Michigan, 75
4.  Parkside, 71
5.  Michigan Tech, 68
6.  Wayne State, 66
7.  Saginaw Valley State, 44
8.  Purdue Northwest, 31
9.  Davenport, 29
10. Roosevelt, 20
11. Lake Superior State, 18