From left, Purdue Northwest’s Thaya Luse, Northern Michigan University’s Sydney Whitehouse, the Pride’s Nadia Clayton (partially hidden), the Wildcats’ Jordyn Schmittdiel and Purdue NW’s Alyssa Cole vie for position to grab a rebound during their GLIAC women’s basketball game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The offense was on full display when the women’s basketball team at Northern Michigan University took to the Vandament Arena floor on Thursday.

The Wildcats scored at least 22 points in every quarter as they made at least half their shots each period while bombing Purdue Northwest 94-54.

National No. 16 NMU improved to 16-3 overall and 7-2 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, moving into third place alone after the team they were tied with, Ferris State, didn’t play Thursday.

Purdue Northwest is in last place in the conference at 3-14 overall and 1-8 in the GLIAC.

Northern’s regular leading scorer Jacy Weisbrod shared game scoring honors with sophomore teammate Sydney Whitehouse as each put in 21 points. It was a career high for Whitehouse.

They did it in entirely different ways, though. Weisbrod, a known long-range sharpshooter, made 6 of 10 on 3-pointers and 7 of 14 from the field overall, while Whitehouse tried just one triple and didn’t make it, but was 9 of 13 from the field and also sank 3 of 5 free throws.

Whitehouse, who saw just 18 minutes court time coming off the bench, added in five rebounds, while Weisbrod as a starter had two steals and two rebounds.

Teammate and Negaunee product Alyssa Hill contributed 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds to go with three assists as she also only saw the court for 18 minutes.

While the Wildcats had some decided statistical advantages, not surprising considering the score, where they really dominated was on the boards, outrebounding Purdue NW 53-22.

That was the Northern women’s biggest margin on the boards since a game on Nov. 25, 2012, when NMU also had a 31-rebound margin vs. Urbana.

Jordyn Schmittdiel, coming off being named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week, pulled down nine rebounds while scoring seven points and playing just 14 minutes. An impressive seven of her rebounds were on the offensive glass.

Baraga graduate and NMU player Reide Osterman saw 16 minutes, putting in three points by making 3 of 4 free throws and adding two steals and two rebounds.

Riley Milausnic paced the Pride with 15 points.

Northern controlled the game from the outset, sprinting to a 9-0 lead barely 2 1/2 minutes in after Weisbrod and Hill each made two baskets, one of Weisbrod’s a triple.

They also assumed their first double-digit lead, 12-2, just over a minute later when Weisbrod hit another trey.

Leading 25-15 entering the second quarter, the Wildcats increased it to 47-32 by halftime and got to their first 20-point lead, 62-42, at the halfway point of the third after another Weisbrod triple.

It kept increasing to 72-44 after three periods before another onslaught produced a 40-point lead, 84-44, with 6:39 left following a Whitehosue layup.

NMU’s biggest lead came with 2:04 left, 94-48, after Haddie Showen made a pair of free throws.

Northern has what is expected to be a much tougher test today when they host GLIAC second-place Wayne State at 1 p.m. The Warriors went to Houghton and defeated Michigan Tech 85-80 on Thursday.

NMU 94, Purdue NW 54

Thursday at Vandament Arena

Summary (field goals, free throws, total points)

PURDUE NORTHWEST — Milausnic 5-3-15, Cole 3-4-11, Strahan 1-2-5, Sims 1-1-3, Phillips 1-0-2, Luse 3-0-7, Bishop 2-1-5, Clayton 1-2-4, Spellman 1-0-2. Totals 18-13-54.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Weisbrod 7-1-21, Hill 6-2-14, Romero 3-0-8, Pytleski 2-0-5, Newcomer 2-0-4, Whitehouse 9-3-21, Schmittdiel 3-1-7, Walder 3-0-6, Showen 1-2-5, Osterman 0-3-3. Totals 36-12-94.

Score by quarters:

Purdue Northwest 15 17 12 10 — 54

Northern Michigan 25 22 25 22 — 94

FG shooting: Purdue Northwest 18 of 54 (33.3 percent), NMU 36 of 69 (52.2 percent); 3-point shooting: Purdue Northwest 5 of 22 (22.7 percent), NMU 10 of 27 (37.0 percent); FT shooting: Purdue Northwest 13 of 17 (76.5 percent), NMU 12 of 19 (63.2 percent); Rebounding, Purdue Northwest 22 (Alyssa Cole and Thaya Luse 4 each), NMU 53 (Alyssa Hill 10); Assists, Purdue Northwest 10 (3 players with 2 each), NMU 15 (CJ Romero 6); Steals, Purdue Northwest 5 (Riley Milausnic and Nadia Clayton 2 each), NMU 7 (Jacy Weisbrod and Reide Osterman 2 each); Turnovers, Purdue Northwest 16, NMU 10.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.