Story, photo courtesy of NMU Sports Information. Click the AUDIO button to hear RRN's interveiw with Coach Casey Thousand
MARQUETTE, Mich. – After battling to gain traction throughout the game, the NMU Wildcats women's basketball team fell to the Ferris State Bulldogs 70-52, Monday night, at Vandament Arena. FSU controlled the scoreboard for all 40 minutes, taking a 26-point lead and holding off a Wildcat rally in the second half.
After a 12-6 advantage for the Bulldogs through one quarter, they used a 13-0 run early in the second quarter to lead 27-9, and stretched the gap to 39-15 by halftime, a sizable deficit they were never able to overcome. Northern shot just 5-31 (16.1%) wiith nine turnovers over the first 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs shot 24-60 (40%) for the game while Northern struggled to find the bottom of the net, shooting 18-64 (28.1%) overall. Jacy Weisbrod continued her steady play for the ranked Wildcats, leading the team with 16 points. The next closest scorer was Sydney Whitehouse with 10. Ferris was led by Kadyn Blanchard with 19 points,
The Bulldogs opened the scoring with a quick three-pointer. The Wildcats remained scoreless until a Weisbrod layup made it 8-2 four minutes in. Following that opening basket, Northern fell into a scoring drought for much of the quarter. Weisbrod later secured a defensive rebound and converted it into a three-pointer of her own. CJ Romero also got on the board, adding a free throw for the 'Cats. Ferris State controlled much of the first quarter, building a lead as large as eight and heading into the second quarter ahead 12-6.
Coming out of the break, the Bulldogs continued to apply pressure, scoring quickly inside and using a 13-0 run to lead 27-9. Sarah Newcomer answered by knocking down a three-pointer in an attempt to slow the momentum. Alyssa Hill and Faith Walder each added a layup as Northern, but Ferris outscored the Wildcats 27-9 in the quarter, taking a 39-15 advantage into halftime.
Hill opened the second half with a layup, which was immediately answered by a Bulldog three. The Wildcats began to chip away at the lead with an 8-0 run, sparked by baskets from Romero, Weisbrod, and Whitehouse. Whitehouse scored her first points of the game during the stretch and followed with another layup to make it 45-29. Key rebounds from Jordyn Schmittdiel, Addison Pytleski, and Hill provided an energy boost for the 'Cats. Northern trimmed the deficit to 15, outscoring Ferris State 22-13 in the third quarter.
With one quarter remaining, the Wildcats looked to carry their third-quarter momentum into the final 10 minutes. Three-pointers from Weisbrod and Whitehouse helped cut the lead to 13 with three minutes remaining. Despite late baskets from Newcomer and Schmittdiel, the Wildcats had too much to overcome from athe first half and fell, 70-52.
