Northern Michigan University’s Abi Fraaza, left, goes up for a shot while defended by Ferris State’s Mya Hiram during their GLIAC women’s game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — Whatever kryptonite the Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team is using on Ferris State this season, they should bottle it to make a fortune.

In what would have been expected to be a heated showdown between the Wildcats and Bulldogs on Saturday at Vandament Arena, NMU instead turned it into a blowout by halftime of its 75-48 victory.

This game was actually a touch closer than the two teams’ meeting about a month ago in Big Rapids, when Northern prevailed by 30 points, 78-48.

These were games between two teams tied for second place in the GLIAC entering Saturday’s encounter.

In the aftermath, however, the Wildcats have moved into second place alone in the league at 12-4, 18-6 overall. Ferris and Wisconsin-Parkside are a game back at 11-5, while Wayne State is near them at 10-5 with a game at Roosevelt this afternoon.

Despite the lack of a competitive game Saturday, it couldn’t have dampened the spirit of those who turned out for NMU’s Senior Day as it was the Wildcats’ last regular-season game at home this season.

Northern dominated both on the boards and in the shooting statistics. NMU held a 47-36 rebounding edge, Negaunee High School graduate and Northern junior Alyssa Hill leading her team with nine caroms.

The Wildcats also put the ball through the hoop to the tune of 46% shooting overall (27 of 59), including a solid 32% (8 of 25) on 3-pointers.

Ferris could only manage making 26% of all its shots (17 of 65) and an anemic 14% on triples (4 of 28).

Hill was the only player on either team to score more than 10 points as she put in 19 by making 8 of 9 from the field — all 2-pointers — and 3 of 3 free throws.

Teammates Alyssa Nimz and Sydney Whitehouse added 10 points apiece, both also shooting well — Nimz was 3 of 5 from the field and 4 of 5 on free throws, while Whitehouse made 4 of 6 from the floor.

Sarah Newcomer added nine points to the winning cause, all coming from 3-of-5 shooting on 3s.

Meanwhile, another Wildcat who didn’t score, Mackenzie Holzwart, made her own contribution with a game-high six assists, along with four rebounds and two steals.

Elle Irwin, Mia Riley and Mya Hiram shared scoring honors for Ferris with 10 points each, though the trio between them were just 1 of 9 on triple tries.

NMU trailed just one time all day, and that lasted not quite a minute in the latter stages of the first quarter. After the Wildcats repeatedly broke ties with baskets early on, Ferris instead broke a 10-10 deadlock with a jump shot by Riley with 3:38 left in the period to make it 12-10.

Fifty-six seconds later, Newcomer bombed in one of her 3-pointers to give Northern back a 13-12 lead. That began a 13-0 run through to the end of the quarter as the Wildcats had already built a double-digit lead, 23-12.

Hill added one more layup early in the second period to make it a 15-0 run and 25-12 lead with 9:15 left before halftime.

Ferris never managed to whittle its deficit back into single digits again as Northern’s lead ballooned to 24, 49-25, at intermission with another 6-0 run to end the first half.

NMU’s lead stayed right around the 20-point mark for the entire third quarter, returning to 24 to end the period at 63-39.

The Wildcats’ advantage reached its zenith at 30 points, 69-39, after Nimz made a free throw with 5:34 to go.

Northern has four road games left to end its regular season, starting with possibly the most heated battle yet as the Wildcats travel north to Houghton to take on Michigan Tech at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The game is expected to be telecast on TV6 or Fox-U.P.

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