North Michigan News

Northern Michigan University's women's basketball team is set to face Hillsdale in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats, holding a 22-8 record, were defeated by Ferris State in the GLIAC semifinals and secured the No. 3 seed in the Midwest region. Hillsdale, with a 21-9 record, enters as the No. 6 seed after losing to Ashland in the G-MAC Championship.

The game will take place on Friday, March 14 at noon ET at Grand Valley. The victor will proceed to play against either Ashland or Ferris State on Saturday, March 15 at 5 p.m., with the regional championship scheduled for Monday, March 17 at 7 p.m. The winner of this championship will advance to the Elite Eight.

Fans can watch the game on FloHoops or listen live on 100.3 The Point with commentary from Casey Ford.

Northern Michigan's head coach Casey Thousand emphasized defensive strategy against Hillsdale: "Hillsdale can score from their guards and we have to slow down their shooters. Our defense has to be good and we have to be in attack mode on the offensive side."

The Wildcats' season has been marked by significant achievements under Thousand's leadership over three years, boasting a record of 59-31 (.656). Last year they reached this stage and defeated Kentucky Wesleyan before falling to Grand Valley.

Key players include junior Jacy Weisbrod, named to the All-GLIAC First Team and known for her three-point shooting prowess; Abi Fraaza who earned GLIAC Sixth Woman of the Year honors; Sarah Newcomer; Alyssa Nimz; and freshman Sydney Whitehouse who recently scored a game-high of 18 points against Ferris State.

On Hillsdale's side, senior guards Lauren McDonald and Caitlin Splain lead offensively with McDonald also excelling in rebounds and assists. Both received All-G-MAC First Team honors.

The teams last faced each other on December 17, 2016, resulting in a victory for Northern Michigan.