MARQUETTE, Mich. - A pair of pivotal conference games await the Northern Michigan women's basketball team, as the Wildcats are set to host the Wayne State Warriors and Saginaw Valley State Cardinals.
Northern (11-3, 5-1) is coming off of a 60-56 win over Roosevelt and they will now host the Wayne State Warriors (8-6, 3-3) on Thursday, January 16, at 5:30 p.m. followed by a clash against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals (8-6, 2-4) on Saturday, January 18, at 1 p.m.
The games can be watched on the FloSports app, or you can listen 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.
Thursday, January 16 - vs. Wayne State at 5:30 p.m.
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Saturday, January 18 - vs. Saginaw Valley State at 1 p.m.
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- Poster autograph signing following the game
Hear from Casey Thousand
"This weekend is going to be a battle. The fight and grit no matter who we play against has been really good, and any given night can be anybody's night, and we are excited about that."
About the 'Cats
At 5-1 in conference play, the Wildcats are in the thick of a tight race at the top of the GLIAC, with Grand Valley State (6-0), Ferris State (5-1), and Parkside (5-1) all in contention.
The Green and Gold rank inside the top-30 in the nation in several categories: 15th in turnovers per game (13.1), 20th in fewest fouls per game (14.1), 22nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.11), and T-26th in defensive rebounds per game (29.0).
Jacy Weisbrod is 4th in the conference averaging 15.5 points per game, but has missed the last four games. She has scored in double figures and made multiple triples in all but two games. Her 3.2 made threes per game is the second best mark in the nation.
Alyssa Nimz (9.7) is second on the team in scoring and is coming off of a career-high 18 points against Roosevelt. She is also 9th in the league averaging 7.1 rebounds.
Sarah Newcomer is third on the team at 8.7 points per game while ranking 8th in the league at 3.0 assists per game and 3rd with a 1.8 assist/turnover ratio.
NMU's defense has been a key to the early season success, as its 59.8 points per game allowed is second fewest to Grand Valley State. The Wildcats also allow opponents to shoot only 27.2% from three, the third-best mark across the league.
Casey Thousand guided NMU to an 8-0 start this season, the Wildcats had its best start since 1998-99, when the program established its best start ever with 16 straight wins. In her first 3+ seasons guiding the Green and Gold, head coach
Casey Thousand accrued a record of 48-26 (.649), 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.
A Look at Wayne State
The Warriors come to Marquette with an 8-6 overall record and 2-2 mark on the road. WSU is coming off of a dominant 98-54 win over Purdue Northwest last Saturday.
Averaging 16.4 assists per game, the Warriors are 3rd in the GLIAC and top-30 nationally. Shea Tripp leads the team averaging 3.9 assists and 12.4 points per game. Taylor Thompson (12.1), McKenna Ferguson (11.6), and Gabi Lutchka all closely follow, presenting a balanced attack for the Wildcats to defend.
Wayne State scored 69.2 points per game while allowing 63.4. They shoot 41.3% from the floor and 31.7% from beyond the arc.
NMU is 37-27 all-time against the Warriors, winning each of the last three. Last season in Marquette, the Wildcats edged the Warriors 81-66 in the regular season before pulling out a narrow 51-48 victory in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
A Look at Saginaw Valley State
SVSU is 8-6 overall but just 2-4 in conference play. Last weekend, the Cardinals defeated Purdue Northwest 80-56 and fell to Parkside 72-60.
The Cardinals average 61.6 points per game while allowing just 60.6. Saginaw is 3rd in the GLIAC and top-30 nationally with 11.7 steals per game. Leading that effort is Lydia Meredith (2.6) and Saniaa Walker (2.4).
Offensively, sophomore forward Megan McCalla is 2nd in the GLIAC averaging 17.4 points per game while 3rd shooting 48.1% from the field. Senior guard Aleshia Jones presents a threat outside, scoring 14.9 per game while shooting 44.8% from the floor and averaging nearly two threes a game.
Northern is 58-33 all-time over the Cardinals. Last season, the Wildcats were victorious 65-41 in Marquette and 63-50 in University Center.
