Northern Michigan University’s Mackenzie Holzwart, right, drives toward the basket while defended by Wayne State's McKenna Ferguson in the second quarter before passing to a teammate during their GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal women’s basketball game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on March 6. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — Women’s basketball is coming for the first time to Vandament Arena on the campus of Northern Michigan University this weekend.

The first-ever regular-season college basketball games to be played at the newly refurbished and expanded arena that previously was a volleyball-only facility tip off this afternoon and 24 hours later on Saturday.

The Wildcats host Minnesota-Crookston at 3 p.m. today, then another Minnesota school from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Bemidji State, at 3 p.m. Saturday.

For at least two decades, NMU men’s and women’s basketball has been played in the hockey-designed Berry Events Center.

Both games will be broadcast on radio station WUPZ 94.9 FM The Bay, with usual station 100.3 FM The Point carrying NMU hockey each day.

Fans can also follow @NMU_WBBall and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during games, or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the women’s basketball schedule for links to live video, live statistics, ticket information, the weekend program, a series preview and the teams’ history.

This season’s history is short and sweet — the Wildcats are 2-0 after sweeping a pair of opponents in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, last weekend. Northern downed Thomas More 48-46 in overtime, then Lewis 53-48.

“There are a lot of things we can improve on, but there are a lot of things we have gutted out,” NMU head coach Casey Thousand said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the weekend. “We were pretty steady and everyone did something for both games.”

Here is some information gathered by NMU SI:

• In Saturday’s win, Lewis was held under 50 points for the first time since the 2021-22 season;

• Though early in the season, NMU is still tied for sixth in NCAA Division II with 6.5 blocked shots per game, seventh at 47.0 points in scoring defense and 24th at 31.9% in field goal percentage defense;

• Sarah Newcomer, with 14 points including four triples in the Lewis win, leads the Wildcats in scoring at 11.0 points per game.

• Negaunee High School graduate and Bemidji State transfer Alyssa Hill paces Northern with 7.0 rebounds per game, while freshman Madison Schroeder’s five blocks leads the team and is second in the GLIAC;

• With a 17-player roster, NMU has to fill a big hole after losing Makaylee Kuhn, a four-time GLIAC First Team honoree and the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,005 points. All-GLIAC Defensive Team center Ana Rhude also graduated;

• Leading the way for NMU coming into the season has to be Jacy Weisbrod, who made the GLIAC Preseason Second Team after earning the same honor at the end of last season. She averaged 12.7 points per game (14.8 ppg in conference contests) last season and led the conference in 3-point shooting, connecting on 92 of 217 (42.4%), with the 92 made 3s ranking her sixth in Division II. Weisbrod knocked down nine triples and a career-high 29 points against Kentucky Wesleyan in the NCAA Tournament, the nine 3s tying an all-time program record in any game;

• In her third season leading the Wildcats, Thousand has a record of 39-23 (.629). Last year, Northern was 22-10 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, winning a game to reach the round of 32.

Minnesota-Crookston is 0-2, losing to Nebraska Kearney 99-53 and Pittsburg State 93-79 at the NSIC-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Challenge in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Crookston, 9-19 a season ago when they were led by Emma Miller at 17.2 ppg and 6.4 rebounds a game, is the leading scorer early this season, too, averaging 14.0 ppg.

In five matchups, NMU is a perfect 5-0 against the Golden Eagles, last playing in 2022 in Crookston, a 74-64 NMU victory.

Bemidji opens its season at Michigan Tech today, though last year the Beavers struggled to a 6-20 record when they were led by now-Wildcat Alyssa Hill.

Senior Erin Barrette was named a Preseason NSIC Player to Watch after totaling 119 points, 57 assists and 51 rebounds last season.

Bemidji was picked to finish last in the NSIC Preseason Poll, while the Wildcats were chosen third in their GLIAC preseason polling.

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