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Studious basketball players: 4 NMU women named Academic All-District

By Steve Brownlee 3 min read

MARQUETTE -- Four players from the women's basketball team at Northern Michigan University have been recognized as members of the Academic All-District Team by the College Sports Communicators.

This came on the same day, Tuesday, that the CSC also recognized four Wildcats men's players with the same honor -- Dylan Kuehl, Jackson Dudek, Sam Privet and Charlie Miller.

Northern's four women's honorees are seniors Sarah Newcomer and Alyssa Hill, along with sophomores Sydney Whitehouse and Addison Pytleski.

These honors were bestowed on players who excelled both academically and athletically, requiring significant contributions on the court along with a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade-point average on a 4.00 scale.

Newcomer, a native of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, is a 5-foot-10 guard who earned her second consecutive CSC Academic All-District selection.

She has continued to shine brightly as one of the top offensive threats in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. This year, she was named to the GLIAC First Team, averaging 11.3 points per game to rank No. 2 for the Wildcats.

She finished inside the GLIAC's top five in a pair of categories -- 2.4 made 3-pointers per game and a 37.7% success on those long-range shots. Additionally, her 80 triples ranked among the top 15 nationally.

Newcomer twice made seven 3s in a game during the season, including when she scored a career-high 27 points in a 74-46 win at Michigan Tech on Jan. 8.

Off the court, she has a 3.96 GPA as a business major.

Hill, a senior who is a graduate of Negaunee High School, also earned her second straight CSC Academic All-District honor.

She was a cornerstone of the Wildcats' frontcourt, leading the team with 7.7 rebounds per game while scoring 8.3 ppg. She surpassed 1,000 career points in a game on Jan. 8 at Michigan Tech, scoring 16 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting day.

About five weeks later, she matched her season-best with 19 points in a win at Purdue Northwest on Feb. 14.

She has a 3.78 GPA in accounting.

Whitehouse, a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, was named GLIAC Sixth Woman of the Year after providing a consistent spark off the bench all season.

Despite not starting any of NMU's 33 games and averaging about 19 minutes on the floor per outing, she was the Wildcats' third-leading scorer at 9.6 ppg and third-leading rebounder at 4.3 rebounds per game, adding in 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals per contest while shooting 43.1% from the floor.

Scoring in double figures 15 times, Whitehouse put in a career-high 25 points in the GLIAC quarterfinals against Michigan Tech on March 4.

She carries a 3.85 GPA in biology.

Pytleski, from Green Bay, Wisconsin, started all 33 games and contributed 7.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.

She was one of the Wildcats' most reliable 3-point shooters, connecting at 38.8%, No. 2 on the team. She recorded a career-high 18 points against Grand Valley State on Jan. 3 and scored in double figures nine times this season.

Pytleski has a 3.72 GPA majoring in biology.

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

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