MARQUETTE, Mich. – The No. 14 Wildcats bested the Saginaw Valley Cardinals in Vandament Arena on Thursday, Feb. 5, with a final tally of 80-69.
The 'Cats knocked down 13 threes, including 10 in the first half. The three-pointer charge was led by
Addison Pytleski, who shot 4-5 from beyond the arc. She finished second on the team with 16 points while
Jacy Weisbrod led all scorers with 19.
Sydney Whitehouse chipped in 13 more while SVSU was led by Megan McCalla with 16.
NMU forced the Cardinals into 16 turnovers and cashed them in for 29 points.
Sarah Newcomer and
Jordyn Schmittdiel led Northern in steals with three apiece, while Schmittdiel cleaned the glass with seven boards.
Northern had a strong showing in the first half, scoring 26 and 25 points in the two quarters for a 51-35 halftime lead. The Cardinals made a run and closed it to as little as six, but the 'Cats answered back with each run.
Before the start of the game,
Jacy Weisbrod was honored, becoming the program's all-time leading three-point shooter with 248+ made threes. This broke a record previously set in 2002 by Marissa DellAngelo.
How It Happened
The Wildcats started strong offensively with two quick three-pointers from Pytleski, backed by another from Newcomer. After much back-and-forth play early on, the teams were tied at 13 apiece with half of the quarter remaining. From this, the Wildcats were able to fall into a groove, making a trio of triples, two from Weisbrod, the program's newest record holder, and one from
CJ Romero. The 'Cats shot 6-11 from beyond the arc and 10-15 from field goal range in a strong first frame, leading 26-18.
Re-opening the scoring for NMU was Pytleski with a quick three to beat the shot clock. The Cardinals began to chip away at the Wildcat lead, bringing the game within just three points after a 12-4 run before Pytleski shifted momentum back to the 'Cats. She aced a three to re-establish the edge, marking her fourth three of the game on five shots. She followed with a basket at the hoop. Getting in on the scoring was
Alyssa Hill with two free throw makes paired with a corner three from Newcomer (45-32). Off a steal from Schmittdiel,
Faith Walder netted a three. The Wildcats went 4-5 (80.0%) from beyond the three-point line in the second quarter, and 10-16 in the first half, taking a 51-35 lead into the break.
Returning to play, the Cardinals went on a 9-0 run to close the gap to seven.
Sydney Whitehouse drained one from deep in an attempt to put the Cardinal run to rest. The score showed a six-point differential, with the Wildcats scoring just seven points in the first eight minutes of the quarter. Two layups and a steal from Hill, as well as another three from Newcomer, brought the Wildcat lead back up, and they would lead 65-52 heading to the fourth.
The fourth quarter started with back-and-forth play. The Wildcats recorded just four points in the first five minutes of the quarter, and Saginaw recorded just five (69-57). Coming out of a timeout, the Cardinals found success from behind the arc, but a jumper from Weisbrod and a steal from Newcomer answered the Saginaw charge.
With three minutes remaining, the score showed 71-64 in favor of NMU. Wesibrod demonstrated why she is the program's record holder with a big three-pointer that brought the 'Cats lead back to double digits. In the final seconds of the contest, Weisbrod and Romero were fouled and sent to the line, each making both shots to put the game on ice. The final score showed 80-69.
Up Next
The Wildcats will return to Vandament Arena on Saturday, February 6, at 1 p.m. to face Lake Superior State. This game is a Play4Kay game, focused on bringing awareness and support to the fight against all cancers affecting women. The Wildcats encourage everyone in attendance to wear pink to Saturday's game in support of the cause.
