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Wildcat Women Grind Out Overtime Win In Detroit
 This story was written by NMU Sports Information. Click the AUDIO buttons to hear post-game comments from Coach Casey Thousand and Sarah Newcomer. DETROIT - In a defensive battle that saw several scoring droughts on each side, the NMU women's basketball team crashed the offensive glass, hit timely shots, and escaped Wayne State with a 56-52 overtime win. After a low-scoring fourth quarter that saw just 10 combined points, the Wildcats came up with timely baskets in OT including a putback from Ana Rhude and a triple from Kayla Tierney to give NMU the ultimate edge. With the win, the Wildcats move to 9-5 on the season and 4-1 in the GLIAC. The loss dropped the Warriors to 8-4 overall and 1-3 in conference clashes. It was a balanced score sheet for the Wildcats, as all nine to enter the game scored, but the highest total came from Taya Stevenson and Makaylee Kuhn who each had 10 points. For WSU, Rebecca Fugate went 8-11 from the floor for a game-high 21 points and Maxine Moore chipped in a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The offensive glass was a key factor in the victory for the Wildcats, as they held a 22-4 edge. Point guard Mackenzie Holzwart consistently crashed the glass on offense throughout the night, leading the team with seven. The 'Cats led in second-chance points 12-0. The Wildcats had a cold 1-8 start from the field to fall into an early hole but responded by making six of their next seven shots to go on a 13-0 run. Taya Stevenson had it going early, recording seven first-quarter points as NMU was up 17-10 through 10 minutes. Taking away the opening two minutes and final three minutes in the first half, the Wildcats outscored the Warriors 28-11. But a 6-0 run to start the game and an 11-0 tear to close the half for Wayne State kept things even at 28. The 'Cats missed their final five shots to close the opening half. After the Warriors stormed back with their run going into the halftime intermission, the 'Cats put together a 9-2 run early in the third including a stepback three from Sarah Newcomer to go ahead multiple possessions. As was the case through the whole game, however, the opponent closed the quarter on a run, making it a slim 43-41 edge for NMU after the third. In the fourth, the Warriors scored their first four, stretching their run to 9-0 to grab the lead. The offense was few and far between as the quarter only saw 10 combined points from the two sides. Each team went on a five-minute drought in the quarter, with a four minute stretch without either side scoring. With a 47-47 tie in the closing seconds, a few looks from the Wildcats bounced off the rim and extra time was needed to decide a winner. In the extra five-minute session of OT, NMU got to the line, crashed the glass for putbacks, and took to the midrange as well as beyond the arc to score on all levels, edging WSU 9-5 in the OT frame, leading to the 56-52 triumph.
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