LAKELAND, Fla. â€Â“ The Northern Michigan University womenâ€Â™s basketball team escaped the Marquette winter for two basketballgames in Florida.  Today the Wildcats were led by three players indouble-figures to pick up their third win of the season with a 75-52 victoryover Saint Leo at the Florida Southern Holiday Classic.  The â€Â˜Cats improve to3-4 on the season while the Lions are now 3-7.

NMU held an eight-point lead at the half (31-23) beforescoring 44 points in the second half.  NMU held the Lions to 29 second halfpoints. Maria Kasza scored 14 of her 16 points in the first half.  She sharedgame-honors with teammate, Kelsey Deacon, as she scored all 16 of her points inthe second half.  The third â€Â˜Cat in double-figures was Jenna Williams with 10markers.  Williams also had three steals.  Katie Koestner led the Lions with 13points and 10 rebounds.

NMU was 26-67 from the floor for the game for 38.8 percentwhich included 9-24 from the three-point line (37.5 percent).  The â€Â˜Cats fromthe free throw line were 14-19 for 73.7 percent.  On the boards the Lions had a14 rebound advantage at 49-35.  SL grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.  DaniciaBraun led the â€Â˜Cats on the boards with five rebounds. 

Tomorrow (Dec. 29) the â€Â˜Cats face the host, Florida Southern, in the second game of their Florida swing.

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