Northern Michigan University’s Alyssa Nimz, right, drives the lane and would score two points while defended by Roosevelt's Jayla Turchin during their college women’s basketball game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Jan. 13. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

BIG RAPIDS — With Jacy Weisbrod back leading her Wildcat team’s scoring efforts, the Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team dealt the Ferris State Bulldogs a one-two punch before it knew what hit them in a 78-48 victory on Thursday evening.

The Wildcats needed barely half the first quarter to build a double-digit lead and less than a minute and a half of the second period to roll it up to 20 points ahead.

By the midpoint of the final quarter, NMU led by 38 points before backing off a bit for the final 30-point cushion.

What was surprising is that this came against the GLIAC’s second-place team — and on the Bulldogs’ home floor. Northern hadn’t won in Big Rapids since the 2018-19 season.

NMU moved back into a third-place tie in the conference at 6-3, while also improving to 12-5 overall. The Wildcats moved up a position after former third-place-by-itself Wisconsin-Parkside was thumped 72-43 by league leader and national No. 1 Grand Valley State on Thursday.

Ferris is still in second place at 7-2 and 13-5 overall, but its pride had to have taken a blow.

Weisbrod came off the bench for the third straight game after missing close to a month starting in mid-December, but despite playing only 23 minutes, scored a team-high 14 points after making 4 of 8 on 3-pointers. For most of the season, she has been the GLIAC’s top 3-point shooter by both volume and accuracy, currently leading the league in makes and percentage.

Weisbrod also had two rebounds and two assists.

Close in the point production were teammates Alyssa Nimz and Abi Fraaza with 13 points apiece. Nimz also shared game-high rebounding honors with eight and had two assists, while Fraaza was a perfect 5 for 5 from the field while grabbing six rebounds and not committing a turnover in 18 minutes off the bench.

The scoring depth that has been apparent all season showed again, as Sarah Newcomer and Alyssa Hill, a Negaunee High School product, added nine points each, while Mackenzie Holzwart had seven and Sydney Whitehouse six.

Hill joined Nimz with eight rebounds, while Newcomer and Holzwart shared game highs of four assists.

Despite losing by 30 points, Ferris could still boast the game’s high scorer, Mia Riley, with 15 points as she also led her team with seven rebounds and three steals. No other Bulldog scored in double figures.

With this result, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the Wildcats shot the ball much better than FSU. NMU made 51% from the field (28 of 55) and 44% on 3s (11 of 25), while pumping in 85% at the free throw line (11 of 13).

Ferris’ numbers were only 32% from the field (19 of 59), 19% on triples (5 of 26) and 56% on free throws (5 of 9).

NMU also had a decided 40-29 rebound advantage.

Though the Bulldogs tied the game 2-2 on a Mya Hiram jumper about 90 seconds in, Northern quickly took control, building a 17-6 lead with 4:15 left in the first quarter following a Whitehouse trey.

Leading 23-10 after one period, the Wildcats opened the following quarter on a 12-0 run to make it 35-10 with 4:51 left before halftime. In that spurt, Weisbrod hit a pair of 3s, Nimz a pair of layups and Hill another layup.

NMU kept a 37-14 halftime advantage before Ferris scored the first two buckets of the second half to get its deficit under 20 for the final time, 37-18, with 8:51 to go.

Northern’s high-water mark of the third was a 31-point lead, 57-26, with 1:53 left after a Newcomer 3.

Still ahead 59-32 entering the final quarter, NMU’s lead reached its zenith at exactly a 2-to-1 ratio, 76-38, with 4:47 left after Weisbrod’s final triple.

Assuming they don’t get overconfident, the Wildcats have a chance to roll up another big number when they travel to Sault Ste. Marie to take on Lake Superior State at 1 p.m. today. The Lakers are out of their accustomed position in the GLIAC basement at ninth place in the 11-team league, but on Thursday, were still manhandled by middle-of-the-pack Michigan Tech 101-52.

After this weekend, Northern will be home for a pair of games next week, hosting No. 1 Grand Valley at 5:30 p.m. Thursday and basement-dwelling Davenport at noon next Saturday.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing this game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.