Story, photo courtesy of NMU Sports Information. Click the AUDIO button to hear RRN's interview with Coach Matt Majkrzak.
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan Wildcats continued their surge on Saturday afternoon, earning their 12th consecutive victory with a 72-60 win over Grand Valley State to improve to 13-1 overall and 4-0 in GLIAC play.
Northern came out of the gates firing, knocking down three triples in the opening five minutes to build a 16-5 advantage. That early burst proved pivotal in a physical, tightly contested game, as the two teams played even the rest of the way. The Wildcats briefly fell behind late in the first half, but they responded with a decisive 7-0 run to reclaim momentum and carry a 37-32 lead into halftime. Despite several pushes from Grand Valley in the second half, NMU never surrendered the lead.
Dylan Kuehl followed up his 33-point performance from Friday with another standout outing, leading Northern with 25 points, including 18 in the first half. Kuehl finished 9-16 from the floor and connected on four three-pointers, giving him nine triples over the weekend. Cal Klesmit provided steady support with 21 points and consistently attacked the rim, going 9-10 from the free-throw line.
Bennett Basich added a strong spark off the bench, contributing 12 points and six rebounds. He was NMU's leading scorer in the second half with 11. Jackson Dudek led the Wildcats on the glass with seven boards. Northern was outrebounded 38-36, just the second time all season losing the rebounding edge, but made up for it with defensive discipline and timely shot-making.
Defense once again proved to be NMU's calling card, as the Wildcats held Grand Valley to its second-lowest scoring output of the season. The Lakers shot just 19-55 (34.5%) from the field and 4-22 (18.2%) from beyond the arc. Northern continues to lead the nation in scoring defense, now allowing just 58.0 points per game
Offensively, the Wildcats finished 21-52 (40.4%) from the floor and 9-23 (39.1%) from three.
