MARQUETTE, Mich. - A pair of crucial conference games await the Northern Michigan women's basketball team this weekend, as the Wildcats are set to travel to the Lower Peninsula to take on the Cardinals of Saginaw Valley and the Warriors of Wayne State.
After a loss against No. 1 Grand Valley State (74-48) in their first game last weekend, Northern (14-6, 8-4) is coming off of a massive win against Davenport (80-41) on Saturday. The 'Cats will now look to take on the Saginaw Valley Cardinals on Thursday, February 6, at 5:30 p.m., followed by a game in the Motor City against the Wayne State Warriors on Saturday, February 8, 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.
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Follow @NMU_WBBall and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the matches.
Thursday, February 6 - vs. Saginaw Valley State at 5:30 p.m.
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Saturday, February 8 - vs. Wayne State at 1 p.m.
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Hear from Casey Thousand
"Playing on the road in the GLIAC is not easy. It's going to be tough and it's going to be a battle for both…It's going to take our whole team again just like it did on Saturday for us to get the win(s)."
About the 'Cats
At 8-4 in conference play, the Wildcats have held their position in 3rd place in the GLIAC, with Ferris State (9-3) and top-seeded Grand Valley State (12-0) above them.
Last weekend, the 'Cats suffered a 74-48 loss to No.1 Grand Valley State , but bounced back with a 80-41 triumph over Davenport.
The Green and Gold rank inside the top-40 in the nation in several categories: 24th in defensive rebounds per game (29.2), 30th in assist/turnover ratio (1.06), 31st in fewest fouls (14.6), and 36th in turnovers per game (14.1).
Jacy Weisbrod is 8th in the conference averaging 13.3 points per game. She has scored in double figures in all but six games, and has made multiple triples in all but four. Her 2.81 made threes per game puts her at 11th in the nation.
Sarah Newcomer (9.3) is second on the team in scoring, while also ranking 8th in the league with 3.0 assists per game and 3rd with a 1.9 assist/turnover ratio.
Alyssa Nimz is third on the team in scoring with 8.8 points per game with eight games scoring double figures. She is also 9th in the conference averaging 6.9 rebounds.
NMU's defense has been a key to this season's success, as its 58.3 points per game allowed is second fewest to Grand Valley State. The Wildcats also allow opponents to shoot only 27.3% from the three, proving to be second best in the GLIAC.
A Look at Saginaw Valley State
The Cardinals are 11-9 overall and 5-7 in conference. Last weekend, SVSU fell to Parkside 73-50, but then defeated Purdue Northwest 71-47. SVSU is 6-3 on their home court.
Saginaw Valley averages 62.2 points per game, while only allowing 61.9 points per game, ranking 3rd in the conference. The Cardinals are also ranked top-35 nationally with 11.2 steals per game. Leading that effort is Lydia Meredith (2.7) and Saniaa Walker (2.1).
Offensively, sophomore forward Megan McCalla is leading the conference averaging 17.2 points per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Her numbers are even better in conference play, averaging 17.8 points while converting on 47.4% from the field. Senior guard Aleshia Jones poses a threat as well, ranking third in the GLIAC shooting 85.2% from the charity stripe, scoring 14.3 points per game, and averaging 1.6 threes per game, tied for 10th in the conference.
Northern is 58-34 all-time over the Cardinals. NMU won both meetings last season by double digits, but fell earlier this season 67-51 in Marquette. McCalla led the Cardinals with 25 points while Newcomer scored 10 for the Wildcats.
A Look at Wayne State
WSU comes to Marquette with a 13-7 overall record, sharing an 8-4 conference record with the 'Cats. The Warriors are coming off of two big wins against Purdue Northwest (88-59) and Parkside (73-64). The Warriors have won four straight and are 8-4 on their home court.
Averaging 15.9 assists per game, the Warriors are 3rd in the GLIAC and top-40 nationally. Shea Tripp leads the team averaging 2.3 assists, while Taylor Thompson paves the way for the Warriors with 12.9 points per game. McKenna Ferguson (12.4), Shea Tripp (12.3), and Gabi Lutchka (10.3) follow closely behind, presenting a balanced attack for the Wildcats to defend.
Wayne State scores 70.2 points per game while allowing other teams to score 64.0. The team shoots 42.1% from the field and 31.9% from the arc.
NMU is 37-28 all-time against the Warriors. After breaking their three-game winning streak against WSU on their home court, the 'Cats were defeated by Wayne State by only one point (61-60) earlier this season. McKenna Ferguson led WSU with 17 points while Newcomer led Northern with 14.
