MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan women's basketball team begins 2026 with an 11-1 record and will return to conference play with a pair of key games at home, taking on Davenport (DU) on January 2 at 1 p.m. and Grand Valley State (GVSU) on January 3, at 1 p.m.

Northern enters the new year playing its best basketball in nearly three decades, opening the week at 11-1 and ranked No. 12 in the WBCA Poll. The Wildcats have combined elite shooting efficiency with depth and ball security, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in Division II through the season's first two months. NMU carries momentum into the week following an 83-77 victory over Northwood on Dec. 17.

Both games this weekend can be streamed on FloCollege, or listened to live on 100.3 The Point, with Casey Ford on the call.


Follow the Action
Follow @NMU_WBBall on Instagram and @NMU_Wildcats on X for updates leading up to and during the games.


About the 'Cats
Northern Michigan has opened the season with an 11-1 record and is ranked No. 12 in the WBCA Poll, marking the program's highest national ranking since the 1997-98 season, when the Wildcats climbed as high as No. 3 during their NCAA semifinal run.

The Wildcats enter 2026 riding the momentum of an 83-77 victory over Northwood on Dec. 17. In the win, Jacy Weisbrod delivered a career performance, scoring a career-high 33 points while knocking down eight triples.

Weisbrod has been one of the most dangerous perimeter scorers in the nation, leading the GLIAC at 18.7 points per game. Her 3.92 made three-pointers per game and 47 total triples both rank first in Division II, and she has connected on multiple threes in 10 of 12 games this season. Sarah Newcomer provides another scoring threat, averaging 10.0 points per game while ranking inside the GLIAC's top 10 in both made threes per game (1.8) and three-point percentage (36.1%).

Northern's strength extends beyond its top scorers, as no Wildcat averages more than 30 minutes per game and 11 players log at least 10 minutes per contest. Alyssa Hill ranks third on the team at 8.6 points per game while sitting third in the GLIAC in rebounding at 7.6 per game. CJ Romero directs the offense, ranking second in the conference with 4.3 assists per game and a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.

As a team, NMU commits just 11.6 turnovers per game — third fewest in the nation — while ranking 10th nationally in three-point percentage (36.8%), 19th in assist/turnover ratio (1.12), 33rd in field goal percentage (43.7%), and 39th in scoring at 74.0 points per game.


A Look at Davenport
Davenport enters the new year following a nearly two-week break. The Panthers last competed in Florida, earning a 64-42 win over Rollins before falling 70-57 to No. 13 Embry-Riddle. Ellie Toney led Davenport offensively during that trip, averaging 13.5 points per game. She is second on the team with 10.7 points per game while Maddie Geers leads the Panthers at 12.0 ppg.


A Look at Grand Valley State
Ranked No. 1 in the nation, the reigning national champions are 10-0 and beating teams by 35.3 points per game and allowing only 47.7 points per game, both comfortably the best marks in Division II. The Lakers also pull down 18.7 offensive rebounds per game, ranking 3rd, and have a 12.4 turnover margin, ranking 4th. Mackenzie Bisballe leads GVSU with 14.2 points per game while Paige VanStee follows closely behind at 13.9. Only two players average over 20 minutes per game while 14 see action for at least 10 minutes each outing.