MARQUETTE, Mich. – Moving into the back half of conference play, the Northern Michigan Wildcats will travel downstate to face No. 1 Grand Valley State and Davenport this week.
The Wildcats are coming off a dominant weekend at home, having success against Purdue Northwest (94-54) and Wayne State (91-71). As the team moves into this week of play, they will gear up to face the undefeated GVSU Lakers (18-0) on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Davenport Panthers (5-13) on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m.
Both games can be streamed on Flo College and 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 have secured the No. 12 spot in the most recent WBCA Division II Coaches' Poll, being one of three teams from the GLIAC in the top 25. With this, NMU is in a three-way tie for second in the current GLIAC standings, currently holding the tiebreaker over Ferris State and Wayne State. The 'Cats are on a four-game winning streak heading into the weekend.
Jacy Weisbrod was honored with the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts in the two wins last weekend. This is the standout player's second time receiving these honors this season. In the dominant win over Purdue Northwest, Weisbrod contributed 21 points, then in Saturday's win against Wayne State, she also scored 21 points, shooting 5-7 from beyond the arc. This season, Weisbrod paces all GLIAC players with 17.3 points per game, while shooting 44.9% from the floor and 43.1% from three-point range. She also leads the nation in three-pointers per game (3.6) and overall makes (72). Weisbrod has recorded 9 blocks and 26 steals, leading the team in both categories.
Another big factor in the Wildcat successes this season has been
Sarah Newcomer, as she is second behind Weisbrod for points at 10.7 points per game, shooting 43.1% from behind the three-point line and 40.9% from field goal range. She is coming off a 22-point outing against Wayne State in which she sank six of seven three-point attempts.
Weisbrod and Newcomer have led the charge for a Wildcat team shooting 37.5% from three, good for fifth nationally.
Also a key component to the Wildcat offense has been
CJ Romero, leading the team in assists at 88 total (4.4 apg). Last time out, she recorded a career-best 11 assists.
Alyssa Hill has recorded 148 rebounds for an average of 7.4 per game, ranking her fifth in the conference. Her 99 defensive rebounds rank fourth.
A Look at the Opponents
Grand Valley State
The GVSU Lakers are currently undefeated, going 18-0 overall and 10-0 in conference play. In the most recent match-up between the Lakers and the Wildcats, Grand Valley came out on top 78-66. The Lakers have scored 1,458 points this season, averaging 81 points per game.
They are top-10 in the nation in scoring defense (4th, 52.1), turnover margin (6th, 9.2), rebound margin (7th, 11.7), and offensive rebounds per game (8th, 17.2).
Davenport
The Davenport Panthers have gone 5-13 overall and 3-7 in conference play. They have a -5.2 scoring margin, with opponents outscoring them for an average of 65.1 points per game to their 59.8.
