Northern Michigan University’s Elena Alaix, right, works against Ferris State defender Mallory McCartney during their GLIAC women’s game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Dec. 9. Alaix will be honored as the Wildcats’ lone senior player before Saturday’s home season finale. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team plays possibly its final two home games of the season tonight and Saturday afternoon at the Berry Events Center.

The Wildcats host GLIAC foes Wisconsin-Parkside at 7:30 p.m. today and Purdue Northwest at 1 p.m. Saturday.

NMU is 13-11 overall and 8-7 in the league and in fifth place, a game and a half behind fourth-place Saginaw Valley State (9-5). The Cardinals’ place in the standings is important as the top four finishers in the regular season earn home court for the first-round quarterfinals of the upcoming GLIAC Tournament, which begins March 1.

Northern will have to win at least two of its final three games — the Wildcats also have a road game at Michigan Tech on Saturday, Feb. 25 — to have any chance of securing the No. 4 seed for the tourney.

That’s an uphill challenge for NMU as Parkside is in third place in the league at 11-3 and MTU is second at 12-3, even though Purdue NW is only 3-11 and currently eighth.

The good news is that Northern has definitely clinched a spot in the league tourney, which leaves out the bottom two teams in the 10-team conference. Right now, the Wildcats would travel to play at SVSU in the quarterfinals, a team they split a pair of close games against.

Before Saturday’s game, NMU will honor senior player Elena Alaix and senior student volunteer coach Esther Byington.

Both games will be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point. Fans can follow these Wildcats @nmu_wbball and @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter, or visit the NMU athletics website, nmuwildcats.com under the women’s basketball schedule for video, audio, live statistics, ticket information, a copy of the weekend program and a preview of the games.

Last week, Northern did about what could’ve been expected as it defeated GLIAC last-place team Davenport 73-55 and lost at league-leader and nationally ranked Grand Valley State 64-52.

Against Davenport, NMU started slow but outscored the Panthers by 25 points over the final three quarters.

Team leading scorer and rebounder Makaylee Kuhn took her accustomed role, scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. NMU made over half its shots — 30 of 58 for 52% — its most shots made and second-best percentage this season.

The Wildcats also started slow against GVSU on Saturday, but without a satisfying enough comeback. Trailing by 25 points in the first half, Northern cut its deficit to single digits in the late going before falling.

Mackenzie Holzwart led NMU with 14 points, making 5 of 7 shots, adding a team-high three assists to go with four rebounds.

While the Wildcats are still the lowest-scoring team in the GLIAC by about three-quarters of a point at 59.4 points per game, they are also second in scoring defense at 56.5 ppg. In fact, other than 22-2 Grand Valley, which is No. 1 in scoring offense and defense in the league, NMU is 3 1/2 points better than any other conference team in scoring defense.

Northern’s scoring defense is ranked No. 15 in NCAA Division II, according to NMU Sports Information, as opponents shoot 38% against the Wildcats, third-best in the GLIAC. The Wildcats have a plus-5.8 rebounding margin, No. 2 in the league, and give up 10.3 assists per game, No. 2 in the conference.

Individually, Kuhn leads the team with 15.3 ppg and 7.4 rebound averages, while Holzwart is second in both at 9.4 ppg and 5.4 rebounds.

Parkside (16-8), which is on a three-game win streak and 9-1 in its last 10 games, is led by Alyssa Nelson with a GLIAC-leading 22.1 ppg, also top-five in the nation. She’s fourth best in conference 3-point shooting at 42.9%.

If it’s hard to remember the last time NMU played the Rangers, it’s because it was at Kenosha, Wisconsin, back on Dec. 3, the opening weekend of the GLIAC season. NMU won 47-35 as Kuhn led the Wildcats with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists as Holzwart had 11 rebounds and two assists to go with five points.

Parkside’s 35 points was and still is easily its lowest production of the season, with its next lowest in a 75-57 loss at high-flying GVSU. In fact, the Rangers are the No. 2 scoring offense in the league at 76.0 ppg, less than a point behind Grand Valley.

Purdue Northwest (7-17, 3-11 GLIAC) is fighting for its spot in the GLIAC tourney, a half-game ahead of ninth-place Lake Superior State (3-12) and has lost its last two games before playing at Michigan Tech today.

The Pride are fifth in scoring offense but only ninth in scoring defense among league teams. They have two of the top shooters in the GLIAC as Mercedes Simmons leads in field goal shooting percentage at 53.9% and teammate Dash Shaw if fifth at 49.8%. Shaw is also third in scoring at 19.2 ppg.

When Northern played Purdue NW in Hammond, Indiana, on Dec. 1, the Wildcats prevailed 64-48 as Kuhn put in 19 points and Taya Stevenson 15.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.