Northern Michigan University’s Sarah Newcomer, left, puts up a shot in a GLIAC basketball game played against Saginaw Valley State at the PEIF Gym in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — Sophomore Sarah Newcomer scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team to a 65-41 victory over Saginaw Valley State at the PEIF Gym in Marquette on Saturday.

Newcomer, whose previous best was 20 points, provided some offensive consistency where there didn’t seem to be much by any of the other players on either team.

She was the only player on either side to score in double figures — Alyssa Nimz was next for NMU with eight points, while the Cardinals’ high was provided by Aleshia Jones with nine.

But that was no accident as Newcomer made 9 of 12 shots from the field, including 5 of 7 on 3-pointers, even as she didn’t get to attempt a free throw.

Newcomer also snared seven rebounds to share game honors with teammate Ana Rhude and SVSU’s Lauren Sollom, then found time to block two shots, too.

The rest of the Wildcats barely made a third of their shots — 13 of 38 (34%) — and the Cards were worse, making barely a quarter of theirs at 12 of 47 (26%).

NMU (6-3, 2-0 GLIAC) had to get on its horse in the middle two quarters after falling behind 11-7 after the first 10 minutes. The Wildcats rolled up a 46-18 edge in those two periods to take a 53-29 lead into the final quarter.

Usual leading scorer Makaylee Kuhn scored just six points for Northern, but she also dished out six assists, made three steals and grabbed four rebounds. Rhude, who had four blocks, shared game honors in steals with three also.

Despite the sluggish-looking first quarter, the Wildcats actually jumped out to a 5-0 lead following a Newcomer triple and Kuhn jumper in the first three-plus minutes.

But the Cardinals scored all their first-quarter points in the next five minutes to more than reverse the scoreboard, taking an 11-5 advantage with 1:23 to go.

Rhude added a pair of free throws with 36 seconds left to get the Wildcats within four at the opening break.

Northern needed 2 1/2 minutes to tie it 13-13 following a Braelyn Torres free throw and another minute to take the lead for good on a Newcomer layup as the Wildcats’ lead stood at 27-21 at halftime.

After Jones hit a jumper in the first 35 seconds of the third quarter, NMU went on a 15-0 run that effectively determined the game’s outcome, turning a tenuous 27-23 lead into a 42-23 bulge with 4:21 left in the third.

SVSU never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way as the Wildcats got their lead up to as many as 27 points, 63-36, with 2:07 remaining on Newcomer’s final triple.

Northern goes back on the road to Illinois this weekend for a nonconference encounter at Quincy at 3 p.m. EST Sunday, then comes home for its last game before Christmas and New Year’s against former GLIAC member Northwood at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

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