KENOSHA, Wis. – Despite scoring a season-low 56 points, the No. 17 Northern Michigan women's team locked down defensively en route to a 56-48 victory at Parkside to open Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play.

The Wildcats got it done in an unconventional way compared to what they've been accustomed to. Entering as the GLIAC leaders from beyond the arc, NMU struggled from deep at just 2-23 (8.7%). The Wildcats also shot only 23-67 (34.3%) from the field, but they held Parkside to a similar clip at 20-59 (33.9%) and tightened down as the game progressed, allowing just nine points in the third quarter and eight in the fourth.

With the three-point shot not falling, NMU needed to find production elsewhere — and did just that with a 32-22 advantage in the paint, largely powered by Faith Walder and Alyssa Hill.

Walder provided her scoring out of the offensive sets, finishing with a team-high 12 points, all coming from attacking the basket. Hill recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds and made her impact on the offensive glass with seven offensive boards,  a central role in NMU's 10 second-chance points.

Sarah Newcomer added 11 points, while Parkside was paced by Katie Hamill with 15.

The win moves the Wildcats to 9-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while Parkside falls to 4-4. It also marked NMU's eighth straight victory over the Rangers. The 48 points scored by UWP were the fewest they scored at home since December 3, 2022, when they lost 47-35 to NMU. 


How it Happened
Alyssa Hill set the tone early with a turnaround jumper and a layup on Northern Michigan's first two possessions, establishing the Wildcats' presence inside. Sarah Newcomer followed with a three-pointer to make it 7-2 less than two minutes in. Faith Walder's layup and Whitehouse's and-one had NMU ahead 16-12 lead midway through the quarter. Walder continued to attack the lane, adding a pair of driving layups as NMU piled up 18 of its 22 points in the paint.

The Wildcats shot 58.8 percent and led 22-17 after one, while Parkside kept pace at 53.8 percent from the field.

Parkside opened the second with back-to-back threes to grab its first lead at 23-22, while NMU missed its first four shots of the frame. Reide Osterman finally broke through with 6:19 left, sparking an 8-1 run as the Rangers went cold, shooting just 1-8 over nearly eight minutes. NMU later endured a 0-for-9 stretch to close the half, and after the teams combined for 39 points in the first quarter, offense came at a premium in the second. They totaled only 22 points in the frame, but Parkside scored the final seven to take a 31-30 lead into the break.

Both teams shot under 40 percent in the quarter. NMU managed just 17.6 percent and went 0-7 from deep, while Parkside finished 3-9 from beyond the arc in the second. 

NMU's cold spell rolled into the second half, as the Wildcats missed their first five shots of the third. Faith Walder finally snapped a 0–14 team drought with another strong drive to the rim. The teams traded baskets through a tight stretch that saw the game knotted at 36-36 midway through the quarter. NMU carried a 42-40 lead into the fourth after edging Parkside 12-9 in the frame.

Offense remained in a lull on both sides, with each team shooting under 30 percent in the quarter.

Walder opened the fourth with another driving layup to reach 12 points, and Alyssa Hill followed with a jumper and a free throw as NMU pushed its lead to 49-44 — its first advantage of more than four since late in the second quarter. With 3:29 remaining, CJ Romero buried a crucial three-pointer to make it 52-46. It snapped a 1-19 start from beyond the arc for NMU and marked her first points in three games.

From there, the Wildcats closed it out with lockdown defense, sealing the win to open the GLIAC schedule.
 

Up Next
The Wildcats will finish their road trip with a game at Roosevelt in the Windy City on Saturday, December 6, at 2 p.m. ET.