MARQUETTE, Mich. – Following a weekend sweep on the road, the Northern Michigan women's basketball team returns home this week for two as the GLIAC schedule approaches its halfway point.
The Wildcats (15-3, 6-2) sit in fourth place in the conference standings after an 80-61 win at Lake Superior State and a 67-51 victory at Saginaw Valley State last week. Now, NMU will turn its attention to the only two GLIAC teams it has yet to see this season. Northern will host Purdue Northwest on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 5:30 p.m. and Wayne State on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m.
Each of the games will be streamed on FloCollege. They can also be 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 (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the games.
About the 'Cats
The Wildcats are ranked No. 16 in this week's WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll. NMU holds a record of 15-3 overall, with a conference record of 6-2. The 'Cats are averaging 72.2 PPG, with a scoring margin of 11.2.
Northern is among the nation's best in turnovers per game (12.2), where they rank third, and three-point percentage (36.0), where they slot in at 14th. They rank first and second, respectively, in the GLIAC in those two categories.
In last week's dominant performances,
Jordyn Schmittdiel was named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week. The forward averaged 10.0 rebounds per game in just 15.5 minutes. In the team's victory over Lake Superior State, Schmittdiel recorded 10 rebounds in 18 minutes with three steals and five points. Similarly, in the win against Saginaw Valley, she grabbed 10 rebounds in 13 minutes, while also tallying a steal and five points. In conference games, Schmittdiel ranks 10th among other conference players in rebounding (7.1 per game).
Jacy Weisbrod leads the nation in three-pointers per game at 3.39, and holds the second-highest mark in the GLIAC for three-point percentage (.407). Weisbrod, a key component of the Wildcat offense, leads all GLIAC players with a 16.9 points per game average this season.
Other big contributors to Northern's success have come from
Sarah Newcomer, averaging 10.4 points per game, and
CJ Romero, who is fifth in the GLIAC with 3.9 assists per game and second with a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.
A Look at the Opponents
Purdue Northwest
The Pride have an overall record of 3-13, and are 1-7 against conference opponents. The team is currently on a five-game losing streak, falling to Roosevelt and Parkside last week. Alyssa Cole leads this team with 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. The Pride are averaging 62.1 points per game, shooting 39.1% from the field. Allowing 78.8 points per game, PNW ranks last in the GLIAC in scoring defense.
Wayne State
This Warriors team is currently 12-4 overall, while performing for a record of 7-1 in GLIAC games. McKenna Ferguson holds the third mark in the conference for her scoring efforts (16.3 PPG). Right behind Ferguson, Taylor Thompson (14.0 PPG) and Gabi Lutchka (13.9 PPG) also present a scoring threat. Those three account for nearly 60% of the Warrior offense.
Wayne State has the third most efficient offense in the conference, only behind Grand Valley State and Ferris State (74.9 PPG). They are also the only team knocking down the three at a better clip than NMU, coming in at 36.9%, which ranks eighth nationally.
