MARQUETTE – Northern Michigan University improved its chances for a GLIAC women’s basketball playoff berth with a 73-57 win over visiting Lake Superior State University on Thursday night.

Taylor Hodell posted a career-high 18 points and team-best five assists as the Wildcats (13-13 overall, 12-8 GLIAC) won their fourth game in a row.

Darby Youngstrom added 14 points while Bre Gaspervich tossed in 13 for coach Troy Mattson’s club.

Mackenzie Edwards scored 17 points to lead LSSU (5-21, 4-16).

With the win, NMU moved into seventh place alone in the 16-team league with eight teams making the tournament.

The Wildcats are one game ahead of Northwood (11-9) after the Timberwolves lost at Michigan Tech 69-60 on Thursday, while Findlay (10-10) has dropped two games back into ninth place with only two games remaining following a 78-53 loss to Walsh on Thursday.

However, Northern would be in real danger of missing the tournament if it loses its two remaining games against Northwood and Michigan Tech. That’s because Northwood, which closes the season with last-place LSSU, and Findlay, which finishes with non-playoff contenders Wayne State and Malone, would own tiebreakers over NMU.

But if the Wildcats continue to win, they could move up on sixth-place Grand Valley State (13-7), which has lost two straight and leads NMU by just one game.

The Wildcats opened Thursday’s game by running out to an early 8-2 lead after a Gaspervich layup and free throw, helping them build a 19-10 advantage by the end of the first quarter.

Northern continued its fast start with a 7-0 run to open the second quarter, highlighted by back-to-back triples from Sydney Dillinger of Houghton and from Youngstrom, to grow its lead to 16 points less than two minutes into the period.

The Wildcats took a 40-19 lead at intermission.

A Tess Weatherly layup ran the score to 51-21 – the Wildcats’ largest lead – with 6:44 left in the third quarter.

A Hodell jump shot later enabled the Wildcats to build their lead to 67-39 with 6:29 to play in the game.

NMU outrebounded LSSU, 39-14, behind six by Dillinger.

The Wildcats return to the floor at 11 a.m. Saturday, taking on Northwood at the Berry Events Center for its final home game of the season.

Information compiled by Senior Sports Writer Craig Remsburg. He can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251.