Northern Michigan University’s CJ Romero, right, passes to teammate Alyssa Nimz, far left, during a GLIAC women’s basketball game played against Grand Valley State at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team handled business as it should by drubbing the GLIAC’s last-place team by nearly 40 points on Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats outscored Davenport by at least 10 points in each of the first three quarters for an 80-41 victory at Vandament Arena.

Northern improved to 14-6 overall and 8-4 in the GLIAC, good for a tie for third place with Wayne State, a game and a half behind Ferris State and four games back of national No. 1 Grand Valley State.

Davenport fell to 4-16 and 2-10, still in a three-way tie for the bottom spot in the conference.

Despite being her team’s leading scorer, Jacy Weisbrod came off the bench. But she was still NMU leading scorer on this day with 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers, while she also accumulated four rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes court time.

Sarah Newcomer was the home team’s other double-digit scorer with 12 points as she sank 4 of 6 triples. A dozen Wildcats scored, including Sydney Whitehouse with nine points and Abi Fraaza with eight.

Lillee Gustafson led the Panthers with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Though Davenport tied the game twice early before the Wildcats ended the first period on a 12-2 run to take a 16-6 lead.

The lead bumped up to 20 points, 30-10, with 4:14 left in the second on a Weisbrod 3 and was 38-13 at halftime.

Northern’s lead reached 30, 45-14, with 6:10 left in the third on a Kayla Tierney layup. NMU’s biggest lead was 40, 65-25, with 6:20 left in the final period after an Ava Bates triple.

The Wildcats hit the road this week to play at GLIAC seventh-place Saginaw Valley State at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, then go to Detroit to face the team they’re tied with, Wayne State, at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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.