The Wildcats are 4-2 in the conference and 10-5 overall with games in Hammond, Indiana, at Purdue Northwest (7-8, 2-3 GLIAC) at 6:30 p.m. EST today and in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at Wisconsin-Parkside (9-4, 4-1) at 2 p.m. EST Saturday.

Both games will be broadcast by radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point, while fans can also follow @NMU_WBBall and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the race, or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and looking under the women’s basketball schedule for game previews, live statistics, live video and live audio.

NMU bounced last-place Lake Superior State 76-49 last Thursday at the Berry Events Center, then fell to No. 11 Ferris State 79-67 on Saturday.

Northern’s other conference loss came a week earlier at national No. 1 Grand Valley State, 64-47.

Northern Michigan University's Makaylee Kuhn, right, works her way around a defender during a game played at NMU's PEIF gym earlier this season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

Makaylee Kuhn broke the NMU women’s program career scoring record in the third quarter vs. LSSU, a record previously held by Lisa (Jamula) Maki from 1988-91 of 1,699 points. She finished with a game-high 18 points vs. the Lakers as the Wildcats erased an early deficit by outscoring LSSU 44-23 in the middle two quarters.

Looking for the weekend sweep vs. Ferris, the Bulldogs instead raced to a double-digit lead before Northern clawed back to tie it 47-47 early in the fourth. But the Wildcats’ fouling strategy was foiled as FSU made 16 free throws in a row in just the final 97 seconds.

Kuhn added to her record with 14 points as Sarah Newcomer led NMU scorers with 18 points. Teammate Jacy Weisbrod added 14 and Mackenzie Holzwart had 11.

NMU second-year head coach Casey Thousand sees a tough weekend on the road.

“Purdue Northwest has been in a lot of games and they’re a scary team,” she said in an NMU Sports Information release previewing the games. “We have to clean up some play from Saturday.

“For Parkside, it’s always a tough battle with them.”

Here are some other facts about these Wildcats as relayed by NMU SI:

• Kuhn is second in the GLIAC in scoring at 16.9 points per game, just a shade under conference leader Dash Shaw of Purdue NW at 17.0 ppg. Kuhn, a three-time GLIAC First Team selection, is also fourth in league rebounding at 7.3 per game and fourth in free throw shooting at 83% (58 of 70);

• NMU leads the conference with just 12.3 turnovers per game, also fifth nationally, while its rebounding margin of plus-8.4 and 76% free throw success rate each are good for second in the league;

• After struggling with 3-point shooting a year ago (27%), Northern has improved to become second in the GLIAC at 34% (119 of 346). Newcomer leads the way with a league-leading 32 made 3s, sinking at least one in all but one game this season;

• Holzwart averages 7.2 ppg, 3.7 assists and 5.9 rebounds a game. Her assists tie her for fifth in the conference as she also leads the Wildcats with 19 steals.

In NMU SI’s scouting report on Purdue NW, the Pride have lost three of five, but is 4-3 at home. PNW shoots 41% from the field, including 31% on 3s, and 76% on free throws.

The Pride are sixth in conference scoring at 63.2 ppg with Shaw leading all league scorers. Crystal Falls native and Forest Park graduate Mercedes Simmons is second in scoring for PNW at 15.3 ppg and leads the Pride with 9.1 rebounds a contest, 18 steals and 40 blocked shots, the latter number just about three-quarters of the team total.

Last season, NMU won both meetings with PNW, 65-61 in Marquette and 64-48 in Hammond. Kuhn averaged 25 ppg in those contests.

Wisconsin-Parkside is 5-2 at home this season, leading the GLIAC in team scoring at 77.2 ppg and allowing 65.4 ppg. The Rangers also lead the conference with a 47% field goal percentage.

The Rangers have two players scoring in double figures, Paty Gallasova at 12.7 ppg and Sheridan Flauger at 11.8 ppg, and another five averaging at least 6 ppg. Flauger also averages 4.3 assists a contest.

Last season, NMU swept UWP, winning 73-67 at home and 47-35 in Kenosha as Kuhn averaged 20 ppg in them.

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