ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — The Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team split a pair of games at the GLIAC-Great Lakes Valley Conference Challenge over the weekend.

The Wildcats thumped William Jewell 60-33 on Saturday before falling to host Lewis 65-41 on Sunday.

Next up are games in Minnesota this week. Northern plays at Minnesota State-Mankato on Thursday night and at Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday afternoon.

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NMU 60, William Jewell 33

On Saturday, the Wildcats showed off the defense that helped get them to the NCAA Division II tournament last season.

NMU held William Jewell to just one point in the second quarter as the Wildcats’ Jessica Schultz led her team’s offense with 12 points, while Lexi Smith had eight. Marquette alum Amber Huebner started for the Wildcats and dropped in six points, while Ishpeming’s Madigan Johns had six off the bench.

The game didn’t start off great for the Wildcats as the Cardinals led for most of the first quarter, but Smith converted a one-and-one to tie the game 15-15 with 1:31 remaining and Huebner put in a layup with 37 seconds left to put Northern up 17-15 going into the second.

It was all NMU after that as it outscored WJ 17-1 in the second, opening the quarter with a 12-0 run to lead 34-16 at the half. The Wildcats held the Cards to just 17 points in the second half.

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Lewis 65, NMU 41

On Sunday, Smith led Northern scorers with 11 points, while senior Erin Honkala and freshman Makaylee Kuhn added six each. Schultz grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to go with her five points, while Huebner had three assists.

Johns had three points and Huebner two.

Lewis went on an early 10-point run to take a 10-3 lead after Schultz hit a 3 to start things out. Honkala had a 3 and Schultz two free throws to get NMU back within 10-8 as Lewis led 16-11 after one quarter.

The Flyers also led 34-19 at halftime and 46-28 after three quarters.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Stieg and Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. Email them at sports@miningjournal.net.