By Journal Sports Staff

MIDLAND – The Northern Michigan University women had a rough day on the basketball, getting outscored in every quarter of a 76-46 loss at Northwood University on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Taylor Hodell led the Wildcats, now 8-12 overall and 7-7 in the GLIAC, with a team-high 13 points and two blocks to go with five rebounds despite playing just 18 minutes.

Senior teammate Alyson Matkovich added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while leading scorer Bre Gaspervich had just seven points in 17 minutes.

Northern struggled with its shooting and holding onto the ball. NMU made 32.6 percent from the field (14 of 43) and 1 of 10 3-pointers while committing 24 turnovers to 10 for NU.

The Timberwolves, who join Northern at 7-7 in the North Division of the GLIAC and are 11-9 overall, got game highs of 20 points and four assists from guard Lauren Robak. Teammate Jordyn Nurenberg added 14 points and Carly D’Almeida 10.

The Wildcats held one brief lead, 4-3, when Gaspervich hit a jump shot with 8:36 left in the first quarter. But Northwood erased that 14 seconds later on a jumper by Nurenberg and opened a 24-15 lead by the end of the period.

NMU got as close as six points, 24-18, in the second quarter after Hodell hit 3 of 4 free throws in the first 40 seconds, but the T’wolves got their lead into double digits for good about five minutes later when Robak hit a triple.

The Wildcats, who are on the GLIAC postseason bubble in a three-way tie for seventh, return home to face rival Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech at the Berry Event Center at 6 p.m. Monday.

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