The Northern Michigan women’s basketball team returned home after a weekend rivalry game in Houghton against the Michigan Tech Huskies on Saturday, Feb. 17. The Wildcats increased their overall record to 16-7 and their conference record to 10-4 to sit at No. 3 in the GLIAC conference. 

Redshirt Junior Ana Rhude and Senior Makaylee Kuhn were the difference makers on Saturday with 16 points each. Rhude tied the NMU women’s basketball record for most baskets without a miss in a single game, going 8-8. Two other ‘Cats had over 10 points in the game, Junior Mackenzie Holzwart (14 points) and Sophomore Jacy Weisbrod (12 points).

“The energy that we had on our bench was awesome. Anybody who got in the game, they were contributing [in the game] whatever the way they can possibly do it. It’s really cool to see and just to play for 40 minutes,” Head Coach Casey Thousand said. “That’s the only thing we’ve been kind of preaching a little bit, where we have a good quarter here and a good quarter there, or a good half–but you really got to put two together and I think that second half was really a good defensive set for us.”

In the start of the game, both teams were putting up points keeping the game close until the beginning of the second half. The Wildcats came back from the locker room with defense on their mind. While the ‘Cats scored 39 points in the second half, they held the Huskies to just 15 total points in the half. 

Huskies leading point scorer, Katelyn Meister, had 14 points in the game but NMU’s defense held her to just two points in the second half of the game. The ‘Cats were 9-12 in baskets in the final quarter whereas the Huskies were 2-14. 

“Like every game is a big game, Wayne State’s playing really well too so going on the road it’s not going to be easy at either one. They’re very physical teams, so we got to be tough and we got to be strong,” Thousand said. “One good thing, I think we’re healed up a little bit–knock on wood–and that we’re rested coming down the stretch.” 

The Wildcats will hit the road this weekend to play their last away games of the regular season. NMU will tip off against two GLIAC opponents with Saginaw Valley State on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. and Wayne State on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m.