MARQUETTE, Mich. – Moving into the third weekend of play, the Northern Michigan women's basketball team has seen nothing but success thus far in the new season. After two travel weekends and five games, NMU sits at 5-0 and has slotted in at No. 15 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Poll, its highest ranking since the 1997-98 season (No. 3).
Now with their first weekend at home, the 'Cats will make their home debut on Thursday, November 20, at 5:30 p.m. against the St. Cloud State Huskies. The weekend will conclude on Friday, November 21, at 5:30 against Minnesota Duluth.
Coming off the team's second weekend sweep, the Wildcats will look to continue their win streak after the dominant start to the season.
Last weekend, NMU first defeated Upper Iowa 95-40. This powerful offensive front was led by
Jacy Weisbrod with 22 points, followed by
Madison Schroeder with 10. The Wildcats continued with these efforts into Saturday's win over Lewis (66-54).
Sarah Newcomer took charge for the Wildcats, recording 16 points against the Flyers, with Weisbrod following it up with 14 of her own.
Alyssa Hill continued to be a force for the team throughout the weekend, tallying 21 rebounds between the two games.
Follow the Action
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Hear from Casey Thousand
"We are really excited to be in Vandament again. Both of these teams are tough; they are going to be big and strong, and our team defense is going to be huge."
About the 'Cats
NMU is currently averaging 70.4 points per game, while allowing only 51.8 PPG. The 'Cats have netted 352 points in the team's first five competitions as well as 63 assists.
Jacy Weisbrod tops the team in points with 87 (17.4 ppg).
Alyssa Hill follows with 46, and
Sarah Newcomer with 43.
CJ Romero leads the Wildcats with 21 assists.
The team is putting up impressive numbers on both sides of the ball, recording 207 rebounds (41.4 rpg), 34 steals (6.8 spg), and 12 blocks (2.4 bpg); these numbers all surpass those of their opponents.
The Wildcats came out on top of St. Cloud in the teams' most recent meeting last season, with a score of 63-52. This story also rings true for the most recent meeting with Minnesota Duluth, as the Wildcats found success last season against the Bulldogs with a 65-63 victory.
This week's No. 15 national ranking also marks a major milestone for the program and head coach
Casey Thousand. It is Northern Michigan's highest position in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll since the 1997-98 season, when the Wildcats rose as high as No. 3 during their run to the NCAA semifinals.
Northern already has a signature win against No. 5 Gannon, who is 4-1 on the season. Gannon remains No. 5 in this week's poll.
A Look at the Opponents
St. Cloud State
The St. Cloud Huskies are currently 2-0 after their opening weekend with wins over Washburn and Central Oklahoma. The team is averaging 67.0 ppg off 134 made points. These efforts are led by Jada Eggebrecht (34 points, four assists) and Alana Zarneke (31 points, four assists). The team has recorded 74 rebounds and 22 steals alongside 31 turnovers.
Minnesota-Duluth
This Bulldogs team is 1-1 heading into this weekend of play, with a win over Southeastern Oklahoma State. Duluth is outscoring opponents 138-130, tallying 69.0 ppg with a scoring margin of 4.0. Claire Bjorge paces the team with 28 points; next in the category is Myra Moorjani with 19. The team has grabbed 70 rebounds and has come up with 17 steals in their opening weekend of play.
