MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan women's basketball team is on the road to finish out the regular season, with stops at Roosevelt, Parkside, and Purdue Northwest.
Northern (18-7, 12-5) fell to Michigan Tech 64-59 on Thursday and is now a half game back of Ferris State for the conference's two seed.
The Wildcats will first stop in the Windy City to take on Roosevelt (11-12, 9-8) on Monday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The bus will then travel back north to Kenosha, Wisconsin to battle the Parkside Rangers (17-8, 12-6) on Thursday, February 27 at 6:30 p.m. ET before heading south once again to finish the regular season at Purdue Northwest (6-20, 3-15) on Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m. ET.
The games can be watched on FloHoops or listened to live 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.
Monday, February 24 - at Roosevelt at 6:30 p.m. ET
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Thursday, February 27 - at Parkside at 6:30 p.m. ET
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Saturday, March 1 - at Purdue Northwest at 2 p.m. ET
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About the 'Cats
At 12-5 in the GLIAC with three games left, the Wildcats are currently third, a half-game behind Ferris State (13-5) and a half-game ahead of Parkside (12-6). NMU is also a game and a half up on Wayne State (11-7) currently in the fifth seed, making the push for postseason home court (top-4) come down to the wire.
On Thursday, NMU's five-game winning streak came to an end with a 64-59 defeat at Michigan Tech. After a 15-15 deadlock through one, the Huskies outscored NMU 23-10 in the second to lead 38-25 at the break. The Green and Gold answered immediately out of halftime, scoring 12 straight and outscoring the Huskies 21-6 in the third to hold a slim 46-44 lead heading to the fourth. Tech went on a 12-0 run to start the fourth and NMU couldn't get fully back in it.
Abi Fraaza paced Northern off the bench with a season-high 18 points, shooting 7-10 from the field.
The Green and Gold are getting in done in several facets of the game, ranking inside the top-50 in the nation in several categories: 19th in defensive rebounds per game (29.3), 33rd in assist/turnover ratio (1.04), 39th in field goal percentage defense (36.0), and 41st in scoring defense (57.6).
Junior
Jacy Weisbrod is 8th in the conference and leads the 'Cats averaging 13.5 points per game. Weisbrod has been the most lethal threat across the conference from beyond the arc, as her 2.76 made threes per game puts her 13th in the nation.
Sarah Newcomer (8.9),
Alyssa Nimz (8.4), Fraaza (8.1), and
Alyssa Hill (7.3) have also played a key role in NMU's offense.
A Look at Roosevelt
The Lakers have won four straight and are 6th in the league at 9-8. Roosevelt is 6-4 on their home court.
The newest GLIAC team is averaging 66.3 points per game while surrendering 69.4. Luka Malinka leads the team at 15.7 points per game but has been on a tear lately, averaging 21.6 over her last eight including a 35-point outing against Purdue Northwest, shooting 13-21 from the floor.
The Wildcats edged the Lakers 60-56 earlier this season in Marquette.
A Look at Parkside
The Rangers are right in NMU's rearview mirror, sitting at 12-6 in the conference. Parkside 6-4 at home that includes a 79-77 upset victory over No. 1 Grand Valley State on February 15.
Parkside averages 71.1 points per game while giving up 64.9. Their 43.2 FG percentage is second in the conference while they attack the glass better than anyone in the conference, averaging 41.4 rebounds. The offense is also balanced, with Cassidy Arni (14.4), Chloe Van Zeeland (12.0), and Sheridan Flauger (10.7) all averaging double figures, with Peighton Nelson (9.9) knocking on the doorstep.
The teams last matched up in early December in Marquette, with the Wildcats victorious 72-67.
A Look at Purdue Northwest
The Pride recently snapped an eight-game skid with a win at Lake Superior State. PNW is 3-15 in conference play while holding a 4-10 record at home.
The offense averages 64.5 points per game while allowing a league-high 80.3. Alyssa Cole paces the attack averaging 13.6 points per game while also controlling the glass with 7.0 rebounds a contest.
NMU handled the Pride 70-48 in the first GLIAC game this season back on December 5 in Marquette.
