CANTON, Ohio - Northern Michigan University played a close game throughout, but Malone pulled away late to score a 64-56 women's basketball victory on Saturday.
The Wildcats slipped to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in league after this GLIAC loss.
NMU quickly grabbed a 5-0 lead and led throughout the game's first 10 minutes. The Pioneers then caught up, and after five lead changes the rest of the half, Malone led 28-27 at intermission.
Neither team scored for nearly five minutes to open the second half, then after Malone's Tara Schaffter made it 30-27, NMU never got closer than two points the rest of the way.
Sophomore guard Alyssa Colla led the Wildcats with 15 points, while sophomore forward Abbey DeBruin added 12. Freshman guard Anna Liewen paced Northern rebounders with eight, including five on offense.
NMU shot 18 of 57 from the field (32 percent) and 15 of 19 on free throws (79 percent).
Despite coming off the bench, Schaffter led Malone scorers with 11 points, while Sydnee Penn and Deborah Simmers each had 10. The Pioneers' Selana Reale led all rebounders with 13.
The Pioneers made 20 of 47 field goals (43 percent) and 18 of 25 free throws (72 percent).
Northern returns home for a pair of GLIAC games this week, facing Hillsdale at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Findlay at 3 p.m. Saturday.