Wildcats Pick Up Weekend Split With 55-53 Road Victory At Northwood

MIDLAND, Mich. — The Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team defeated Northwood University, 55-53, Saturday afternoon for the weekend split.

After allowing NU the first five points of the contest, Makaylee Kuhn got the Wildcats on the board with just over two minutes elapsed Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats took the lead with a made layup from Andrea Perez to put her team up 6-5 midway through the first quarter.

The Timberwolves reclaimed the lead just briefly before a 6-0 run from the Wildcats put them up 11-7 with 4:41 to play in the opening frame. NMU would make one more laup in the quarter, courtesy of Vivianne Jende as the Wildcats ended the first quarter of play trailing 14-13.

The second quarter reflected that of the first, as the Wildcats continued to trail by just one point at the end of 20 minutes. Prior to that, the Timberwolves went up six points for their largest lead of the day to that point, up 19-13, before Kuhn helped spark the Wildcat offensive efforts again as she hit a deep three to cut the Timberwolves’ lead in half, 19-16.

The Wildcats would eventually tie things up with 4:22 to play in the opening half when Kayla Tierney sank a three-point shot with an assist to Samantha Potter. After NU reclaimed the lead following a pair of made free throws, Jende knotted things up again at 24-24.

Again, a pair of free throws gave NU the lead back late in the first half before Kuhn’s jump shot tied things up at 26-all. NU would answer with a layup of their own before Jende was fouled, shooting, hitting her first free throw for the 28-27 halftime score.

Kuhn opened up the second half with a layup set up by Perez to go up 29-28 before NU went on a small 5-0 run to take the lead back.

Elizabeth Lutz cut the Timberwolves’ lead to one-point when she sank a three-pointer. Kuhn helped the Wildcats get the ball back as she blocked an NU attempt at the other end of the court before Potter made a shot for the 34-33 Wildcat lead.

The Wildcats extended their lead part way through the third, going up seven-points with 5:08 to play in the third quarter as they led the Timberwolves, 41-34. NU would get one back before Jende’s free throw attempt gave her team that day-best lead again, up 42-35.

With two seconds to play in the third quarter, a Timberwolves player hit a three-point shot as the Wildcats carried a 42-38 lead into the final quarter of play.

NU continued their scoring run in the final quarter, eventually tying things up with 8:49 remaining, 42-42, before taking the lead with a made layup just under a minute later.

Jende tied things back up, stifling the Timberwolves’ 8-0 scoring run with a made jump shot, making it a 44-44 game. She then got the lead back for NMU with 5:54 to play as she was set up by Kuhn for the layup for the 46-45 tally.

Taya Stevenson extended the Wildcats’ lead with a three-point shot with just over four minutes to play, giving her team the 49-45 advantage.

The Wildcat women concluded the afternoon contest with a pair of free throws from Jende for the 55-53 final.

The team shot 46.7 percent from beyond the three while holding their opponent to just 26.3 percent from the same distance and just 30.6 percent from the field.

Kuhn led the team in points Saturday, netting 17 off eight shots from the field while Jende posted a career-best 16 points for second among Wildcat players.

Potter, who had five points on the afternoon, also registered two assists while leading the team in rebounds with 12.