MARQUETTE, Mich. – In its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the Northern Michigan women's basketball team is the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region and will take on No. 4 Wayne State on Friday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. in Allendale, Michigan.
Northern (25-7) earned an at-large bid for the third consecutive season. The Wildcats finished fourth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) standings and advanced to the semifinals, where they fell to top-seeded Grand Valley 66-38.
The game can be heard live on 100.3 The Point, with Dave VanNoord on the call.
Tournament Schedule
Friday, March 13
Game One: #3 Northwood vs #6 Malone | 12:00 p.m.
Game Two: #2 Ferris State vs #7 UMSL | 2:30 p.m.
Game Three: #1 GVSU vs #8 Maryville | 5:00 p.m.
Game Four: #4 Wayne State vs #5 Northern Michigan | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 14
Game Five: Game 1 Winner vs Game 2 Winner | 5:00 p.m.
Game Six: Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Winner | 7:30 p.m.
Monday, March 16
Game Seven: Game 5 Winner vs Game 6 Winner | 7:00 p.m.
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
Northern Michigan enters the postseason ranked No. 24 in the latest WBCA poll after defeating Michigan Tech 74-66 in the GLIAC quarterfinals before falling to Grand Valley 66-38 in the semifinals.
Three Wildcats earned postseason recognition from the conference, led by All-GLIAC First Team selections
Jacy Weisbrod and
Sarah Newcomer, while
Sydney Whitehouse was named the GLIAC Sixth Woman of the Year.
Weisbrod closed the regular season as one of the nation's most dangerous perimeter scorers. The First Team selection led the GLIAC at 16.8 points per game and also finished as the nation's three-point leader. Her 103 made triples led all Division I and Division II players, while her 3.42 makes per game ranks second nationally. She recorded 12 games with 20 or more points, along with 15 games making at least four three-pointers.
Newcomer joins Weisbrod on the All-GLIAC First Team after another strong season from beyond the arc. The senior averages 11.3 points per game, second on the team, while her 77 made three-pointers rank among the top 30 nationally. She also sits inside the national top 30 in three-point percentage.
Whitehouse was recognized as the GLIAC Sixth Woman of the Year after appearing in all 30 games off the bench this season. She is averaging 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 42.2% from the floor. Whitehouse reached double figures in 14 games this season, including 10 of the last 14.
CJ Romero continues to run the Wildcat offense efficiently, with a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranks 16th nationally and averages 4.6 assists per game, 30th nationally. She leads a Northern group that ranks third nationally in turnovers per game (11.9) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24).
Alyssa Hill provides additional balance with 8.5 points per game while leading the team with 7.8 rebounds per contest.
A Look at Wayne State
The Warriors are receiving votes in the WBCA poll with a 23-7 record. They also fell in the GLIAC semifinals to Ferris State, 104-86. Before that, the Warriors won nine in a row, including the game that handed Grand Valley their lone loss on Feb. 7, 78-77.
Head Coach Carrie Lohr was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year, while McKenna Ferguson (16.4 points per game), Taylor Thompson (15.6), and Gabi Lutchka (15.2) all earned First Team honors.
