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TIGHT LOSSES: 'Cats Drop Two Games At Home
 The Northern Michigan University men's basketball team lost two tough games to a pair of nationally-ranked teams over the weekend, falling to Minnesota State-Moorhead, 83-79, in overtime, and then losing to Minnesota-Duluth on Sunday, 74-72. These stories and photos are courtesy of NMU Sports Information SUNDAY'S GAME RECAP MARQUETTE, Mich. - A pair of last seconds attempts rattled out as the NMU men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to No. 16 Minnesota Duluth in Marquette, 74-72. Trailing by a pair, a Max Weisbrod three for the win bounced off the rim, and a follow-up shot from Brian Parzych as time expired rimmed out, as the Wildcats dropped a second straight nailbiter vs. a ranked opponent. Dylan Kuehl led the Wildcats with a 22-point 10-rebound double-double and tacked on an assist, two blocks, and two steals. Kuehl shot 8-12 from the field and 1-3 from the three-point line, hitting five of seven free throws. Max Weisbrod was next for the Green and Gold, dropping 18 points with three rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Weisbrod shot 6-18 from the field and 5-5 from the charity stripe. As a team, the 'Cats shot 27-64 (42.2%) from the field, but struggled to a 3-21 (14.3%) mark from deep. They improved at the free throw line from yesterday, going 15-21 (71.4%). The 'Cats held the advantage on the glass with 38 rebounds to 31, including 12 offensive boards to five. The Wildcats now fall to 4-5 overall, and the Bulldogs improve to 5-1 overall. SATURDAY'S GAME RECAP MARQUETTE, Mich. - Despite a career-high 32 points from sophomore Max Weisbrod, the Northern Michigan men's basketball team fell to No. 9 Minnesota State University Moorhead 83-79 in OT on Saturday in the PEIF Gym. The Wildcats struggled from the free throw line, going just 12-23 (52.2%). Northern missed four of their last five attempts in regulation, including a pair of misses up 72-70 with 17 seconds left. The Dragons were 16-21 (76.2%) with two makes to tie the game at the end of regulation. NMU also missed two attempts in regulation, ending the game with just one make from the charity stripe in its final seven attempts. MSUM's Jacob Beeninga presented a problem for the Green and Gold, especially early on, as he scored a season-high 35 points on seven triples, with 21 of those coming in the first half. After back and forth in the first six minutes, Moorhead went on a 14-4 run to go up double digits at 27-17 with under 10 minutes to go in the opening half. The Dragons didn't relinquish the lead the rest of the half, taking a 39-33 lead into intermission. Moorhead opened the second half on a 15-5 spurt to take its largest lead,54-38, four minutes into the half. The Green and Gold responded with a 9-0 run to close the deficit to five, with Dylan Kuehl and Max Weisbrod each hitting triples on the run. With just over two minutes remaining, Weisbord hit a layup to give NMU its first lead since early in the game, 66-65. Weisbrod would hit a jumper with 30 seconds to go to lead by three, but MSUM's hit three free throws in the closing seconds to send the game to extra time. In overtime, the Dragons scored the first four points and the 'Cats were never able to recover and take the lead themselves, falling 83-79 in a back and forth affair. The Wildcats were 30-65 (46.2%) from the floor while the Dragons were 29-75 (38.7%). MSUM pulled down six more offensive rebounds than NMU, leading to a 20-9 edge in second chance points. Weisbrod''s 32 points paced the 'Cats, while Dylan Kuehl had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. Carson Smith also scored in double figures with 11 while Sam Schultz led the team on the glass pulling down 11 rebounds. |
