MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan women's basketball team begins its 2024-25 campaign at the NCAA D2 Midwest Region Tip-Off, taking place at the Justagame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. 

The Wildcats will take on Thomas More on Friday, November 8 at 6 p.m. ET and will follow it up with a clash against Lewis on Saturday, November 9 at 6 p.m. ET. 

Both games can be listened to on 94.9 The Bay, 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 race. 

Friday, November 8 - vs. Thomas More at 6 p.m. ET
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Saturday, November 9 - vs. Lewis at 6 p.m. ET
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A Word from Casey Thousand
"We're gelling together and we're still learning at the same time. It's fun and exciting to have that first road trip, for everyone to come together and hang out and have that team time. We are going to play differently without her [Makaylee Kuhn], and it's going to be a little different with what we're doing, but we have good people back who did a lot of scoring for us last year too."



About the 'Cats
In two seasons guiding the Green and Gold, head coach Casey Thousand has accrued a record of 37-23 (.617), including a 22-10 clip last season in which NMU made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and defeated Kentucky Wesleyan to make the Round of 32. The Wildcats also hosted a game in the GLIAC Quarterfinals after finishing in third and made a run all the way to the conference title game. Thousand led a team that was top-two in the conference in defensive rebounding (28.0) and turnover margin (12.6) a year ago. The Wildcats averaged 66.4 points/game while allowing 60.1. 

For the second consecutive season, Jordan Sweeney will accompany Thousand on the bench, this time in the role of Associate Head Coach. 

NMU will field a 17-player roster for the upcoming season. Northern will have a big hole to fill in losing Makaylee Kuhn, a four-time All-GLIAC First Teamer and the program's all-time leading scorer (2,005 points). In addition, All-Defensive center Ana Rhude has also graduated, meaning there will be multiple shoes to fill in the lineup. The leading candidate to step into NMU's go-to scoring threat will be Jacy Weisbrod, who was selected to the GLIAC Preseason Second Team after earning those honors to end last year. 

Jacy will look to be one of the most prolific scorers across the conference yet again after averaging 12.7 points/game (14.8/game in conference play) last season. She led the conference in three-point shooting, connecting on 92-217 (42.4%) triple attempts, with those 92 made threes ranking 6th in Division II. Weisbrod knocked down an astonishing nine triples and a career-high 29 points against Kentucky Wesleyan in the NCAA Tournament. Those nine threes tied an all-time program record for made threes in a game. 

Along with Weisbrod, NMU returns four other guards with notable starting experience in CJ Romero, Mackenzie Holzwart, Sarah Newcomer, and Kayla Tierney. Romero made 10 starts while appearing in 28 contests, recording multiple assists in half of those. Holzwart started in 19 of 27 last season and averaged 6.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Newcomer made 25 starts while appearing in all 32 games. She is the second highest returning scorer with 7.8 points/game. Tierney made 20 starts and also played in all 32, totaling over 100 points and 60 rebounds last year.

In the frontcourt, returners Abi Fraaza, Alyssa Nimz, and Braelyn Torres will all look to make a leap this season. Joining that trio will be Bemidji State transfer and UP native Alyssa Hill. The Negaunee, Michigan product started in 51 of 52 games with the Beavers, where she was named to the All-NSIC Second Team in 2023-24 after leading Bemidji in scoring (13.2 ppg). 

Thousand adds a fairly sizable six-player freshmen class to this year's group as well: Sydney Whitehouse, Addison Pytleski, Megan Marta, Madison Schroeder, Jordyn Schmittdiel, and Ava Bates. Whitehouse and Pytleski will add depth to Northern's backcourt while Schroeder and Bates will deepen the post position. 


A Look at Thomas More
Out of the G-MAC, the Thomas More Saints went 18-11 a season ago, averaging 65.7 points per game and shooting 41.1% from the floor. 

The Saints have been picked to finish in 6th place out of 13 teams in the G-MAC Preseason Poll. Thomas More returns a group that is led by junior forward Rylee Turner, who averaged 8.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game a season ago. 

It will mark the first meeting between the Wildcats and the Saints. 


A Look at Lewis
The Flyers out of Lewis have been picked to repeat as GLVC champions after a 23-9, 19-3 mark put them atop the conference a year ago. Playing in the same region as NMU in last year's NCAA Tournament, the Flyers fell 75-53 to Ferris State in the opening round. 

Lewis returns two All-GLVC second team starters from last year's team in Jenna Badali and Taylor Gugliuzza. Badali was named the All-GLVC Tournament MVP and started 30 games last year, averaging 14.0 points, 4.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game a year ago. 

The Wildcats and Flyers met in last year's season opener in Houghton, a narrow 56-52 victory for the Green and Gold. Jacy Weisbrod scored 11 points in her first game as a Wildcat. 


A New Home
The 2024-25 squad will be the first to play in a new home, as Vandament Arena, previously the exclusive home to NMU volleyball, has been renovated and will now be the stomping grounds for both basketball teams in addition to volleyball. The project created a larger court area, four-sided stadium seating for about 1,500, a modernized look, and two state-of-the-art scoreboards. 


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