Lady 'Cats defeat Oilers at BEC
Courtesy of NMU Athletics
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan women’s basketball team defeated Findlay 79-76 on Saturday (Feb. 4) from the Berry Events Center to complete the weekend sweep of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic
Association South Division opponents.
Senior guard Chelsea Lyons poured in 28 points while freshman guard Alyssa Colla added a career-high 24 points in the win, including 13 in the second half. NMU is now 5-1 when scoring 70 or more points and is 10-11 on the season and 6-8 in the GLIAC.
Findlay (12-9, 6-8 GLIAC) missed a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer
after Colla made 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
Ashley Andrews of the Oilers drained a long three-pointer on the play
before to cut the NMU lead to two (78-75) after senior forward Hillary
Bowling made two free throws to give the ‘Cats a five-point lead .
Freshman guard Lauren Gruber nailed a key three-pointer with just over a
minute to go to give NMU a five-point lead (74-69) after a back and forth
game.
The ‘Cats never trailed after Gruber’s first three-pointer at 6:08 that
made the score 63-62. There were six ties and seven lead changes in the
game.
Northern held a two-point halftime lead (37-35) after sophomore center
Annie Rubendunst’s jumper just before the horn. The Wildcats shot 50
percent in the first half (16-for-32) and were led by Lyons with 16
points. Colla had 11 at the break
The ‘Cats finished 50 percent from the floor on 26-for-52 shooting. They
were also 7-for-19 from three-point territory and 20-for-32 (62.5 percent)
from the free throw line.
Lyons shot 11-for-15 from the floor and 6-for-10 from the free throw line.
Colla was 8-for-13 from the field, including 3-for-5 from the three-point
line.
Bowling was the other Wildcat to score in double figures with 12 points.
She made 7-of-10 from the charity stripe. Gruber finished with six points
while freshman center Courtney Lemon scored five and Rubendunst five.
Findlay shot 54.9 percent (28-for-51) from the floor and was led by Kayla
Brown and Kristin Klausing with 12 points each. Carlay Stahl was also in
double figures with 10 points for the Oilers. Findlay’s bench outscored
NMU’s 37-6.
NMU defeated Wayne State 70-69 on Thursday.
The ‘Cats finish the three-game home stand, hosting Lake Superior State on Thursday (Feb. 9).
Posted by Jerry Taylor