ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan women's basketball team hung tight with the Wayne State Warriors for three quarters, but a 24-13 final frame for WSU powered them past the Wildcats 77-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ending Northern's season at 25-8.
The Wildcats faced a slim 16-12 deficit after one, but outscored Wayne State 18-13 in the second quarter to lead 30-29 at halftime. NMU pushed its lead to five in the third, but a late 9-0 run gave WSU a 53-48 lead heading to the fourth. The 'Cats closed it to two, but 24 of the next 30 points over seven minutes went the way of Wayne State as they pulled away for the win. They advance to play Grand Valley in tomorrow's regional semifinal.
NMU's bench provided the spark, accounting for 33 of the 61 points (20 of 30 in the first half) and 18 of 37 rebounds.
Sydney Whitehouse led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds,
Faith Walder chipped in 10 points, and
Jordyn Schmittdiel had six boards and two blocks. All three underclassmen will be key figures for the 'Cats next season.
Sarah Newcomer paced the starting five with 11.
Wayne State was led by McKenna Ferguson with 21 points and eight steals, followed by Jaci Tubergen with 15 points and Gabi Lutchka with 14.
While Northern shot 41.0% (25-61) from the field to Wayne's 40.0% (26-65), the Warriors made their difference from deep, going 8-19 (42.1%) to NMU's 6-29 (20.7%). That included WSU going 5-8 (62.5%) from deep in the second half to Northern's 2-15 (13.3%).
Northern also committed twice as many turnovers as WSU (16-8), leading to a 21-5 advantage for the Warriors in points off turnovers.
Despite the loss, the Wildcats close the season at 25-8, marking their most wins since the 1999-2000 season. It was also their third-straight season with 20+ wins and reaching the NCAA Tournament.
How it Happened
Wayne State opened the scoring with the first four points as NMU committed turnovers on three of its first four possessions. The Wildcats did not get on the board until just over three minutes in, when
Faith Walder scored NMU's first basket.
Sydney Whitehouse then provided an early spark off the bench, scoring the next seven Wildcat points, including a banked-in three-pointer that tied the game 9-9 with 4:14 remaining in the quarter.
The Warriors responded with the next five points to regain control before
Addison Pytleski knocked down a three-pointer late in the frame. It marked Northern's only points from a starter in the opening quarter as Wayne State carried a 16-12 lead into the second.
Sarah Newcomer opened the second quarter with a corner three as the game remained tight, and she connected from deep again a few minutes later to keep Northern within striking distance. Walder then attacked the rim and finished with her left hand to cap a 7-0 Wildcat run, tying the game at 26-26 with four minutes remaining in the half. The surge grew to a 9-0 run overall as Northern held Wayne State scoreless for more than five minutes to take its first lead.
Walder delivered again just before the buzzer, driving left and finishing at the horn to give NMU a 30-29 advantage at halftime. Walder and Whitehouse provided a major spark off the bench in the half, combining for 17 points.
Alyssa Hill opened the second half by banking in a shot, and the Wildcats quickly built momentum as
CJ Romero knocked down a three and
Jacy Weisbrod converted an and-one to give Northern a 38-33 lead. WSU responded with the next six points, and the teams traded baskets through the middle portion of the quarter as each side answered the other's momentum.
The Warriors eventually found a rhythm late in the period, scoring nine straight points to reclaim control before Newcomer beat the buzzer with a floater. Wayne State carried a 53-48 lead into the fourth quarter.
Newcomer opened the fourth quarter with another three-pointer to pull Northern within two. The Warriors answered with the next eight points, however, pushing their lead to 64-53 with five minutes remaining, their largest advantage of the game to that point.
Wayne State continued to build momentum from there, knocking down back-to-back triples to stretch the margin to 72-57 with 2:40 left. The surge grew into an 11-0 run as the Warriors pulled away down the stretch, extending the lead to 78-57 with just over a minute remaining to put the game out of reach.
