Bulldog Women's Basketball Receives Strong Effort In Senior Day Triumph

Postgame Highlights & Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - A strong effort lifted the Ferris State University women's basketball squad to a 68-56 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) victory over visiting Northern Michigan on Saturday (Feb. 15) afternoon, giving FSU both a Senior Day victory and a two-game advantage atop the divisional standings.

The Bulldogs received a strong performance from their senior class as the quartet of Riley Blair, Renee Sturm, Emilee Kott and Lilly George along with former player and current student assistant Margo Brown were honored prior to the game.

Once the game tipped off, the senior class led the way as George came on to score a season-high 16 points by knocking down five three-pointers in the win. Blair paced FSU with 23 points and seven rebounds while Kott and Sturm also earned the starting nods and contributed in the win.

The Bulldogs also received 13 points from freshman guard Mallory McCartney, who dished out six assists and had seven rebounds. Junior guard Adrienne Anderson chipped in 10 points as the Bulldogs placed four in double-figure scoring.

Ferris State shot 48% overall and hit seven-of-18 (38.9%) three's along with 13-of-17 (76.5%) free throws.

Defensively, FSU limited the Wildcats to only 37.3% shooting with NMU going eight-of-26 (30.8%) behind the three-point line and four-of-eight (50%) at the line.

Ferris State also forced 12 turnovers and had only eight of its own as the Bulldogs outscored NMU 14-10 in points off turnovers, helping fuel a 19-3 edge in fast break scoring against a bigger Wildcat lineup. FSU also outscored Northern Michigan 32-26 inside the paint and the Bulldog bench totaled 17 points to nine for the Wildcats.

Northern Michigan was led by Elena Alaix, who finished with a team-high 16 points. Jessica Schultz added 14 points and 10 boards in a double-double effort, but went only six-of-17 from the floor. Meanwhile, Makaylee Kuhn posted 13 points in the loss.

Ferris State finished with 19 assists, seven steals and a blocked shot in comparison to NMU's 16 assists, four blocks and no steals. The Wildcats did own a 35-32 rebounding edge and pulled down 12 offensive boards to help them stay in the game.

With the win, FSU improved to 18-7 overall and 12-5 in the GLIAC. The Bulldogs now own a two-game lead atop the GLIAC North Division with only three games left in the regular-season and have already clinched a spot in the conference tournament. FSU is seeking its first divisional crown since 2012.

The Bulldogs will hit the road next week for a pair of league outings on Thursday (Feb. 20) evening at Purdue Northwest followed by a Saturday (Feb. 22) afternoon tilt at Wisconsin-Parkside.