MARQUETTE, Mich. – Lewis University's women's basketball team was hampered by cold shooting in its 61-56 loss to Northern Michigan at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, Mich., on Sunday afternoon. The Flyers drop to 0-2 on the year while the Wildcats move to 2-0.

Lewis scored the first points of the contest as Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West) converted an old fashioned three-point play less than a minute into the contest. The Flyers then missed its next nine shots as Northern Michigan ran off 12 straight to take the largest lead of the game at nine. Lewis outscored the 'Cats 5-1 over the final 2:21 of the quarter to cut the lead to five by the end of the quarter.

Northern Michigan scored the first bucket of the second stanza but the Flyers responded with 10-0 run in the span of 3:16 to take an 18-15 lead after two free throws from Kathryn Schmidt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central). The teams traded baskets over the final five minutes of the half but it was Lewis that held a 29-27 lead at the intermission.

The Flyers were held to 28 percent (7-for-25) shooting from the field in the first 20 minutes, were 0-of-10 from three and stayed in the game by shooting 88 percent (15-for-17) at the foul line. Lewis forced 12 Wildcat turnovers resulting in nine points.

NMU shot 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from the floor, was 4-for-12 from three and was 1-of-3 at the foul line. It outrebounded the Flyers 17-15 in the half.

The Wildcats scored the first seven points of the third quarter to take a five-point lead but Lewis countered outscoring NMU 15-7 the rest of the quarter to take a 44-41 lead into the final 10 minutes. Grace Hilber (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) led the charge with four points in the frame while Gugliuzza, Jenna Badali (Oak Lawn, Ill./Mother McAuley) and Stephanie Hart (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) added three points apiece.

The 'Cats turned up the defense in the final stanza holding the Flyers to just two points over the first 7:30 minutes of the stanza. NMU took advantage outscoring Lewis 8-2 to take a three-point lead with 4:18 to go. Hilber brought the Flyers to within with a jumper at the 2:27 mark but the Wildcats answered on the other end as Mackenzie Holzwart converted an old fashioned three-point play to extend the lead to four points.

Lewis got to within three points twice in the final minute but the 'Cats were able to seal the victory by hitting six of their final eight attempts at the charity stripe.
Hilber led all scorers with 18 points and was joined in double figures by Badali with 11 while Schmidt added nine. Gugliuzza pulled down nine rebounds and Hilber finished with four steals. The Flyers finished the game shooting 29 percent (16-for-55) from the field, were 4-of-20 from three and shot 77 percent (20-for-26) at the foul line.

Northern Michigan shot 46 percent (22-for-48) for the contest, was 6-of-21 from three and shot 69 percent (11-for-16) from the charity stripe. It outrebounded Lewis 42-22 in the contest. Makaylee Kuhn led the 'Cats with 13 points while Holzwart added 11 points off the bench.

The Flyers host Ferris State in its home opener this Wednesday (Nov. 17) at 5 p.m. at Neil Carey Arena. It'll be the start of a five-game homestand for Lewis.