Smith, Kuehl big down the stretch for Wildcats
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – In a battle of two contenders in the Midwest Region, the Northern Michigan men’s basketball team picked up a key win on Saturday afternoon in Wisconsin Dells, edging the Upper Iowa Peacocks 79-76.
With 25 lead changes and a dozen ties over the 40-minute affair, the Green and Gold received much-needed contributions throughout the lineup. The Wildcats turned to its two leading scorers to close it out, as Julien Smith and Dylan Kuehl accounted for NMU’s final 17 points and 21 of the last 23. Kuehl scored eight straight both at the charity stripe and in a variety of fashions around the rim to continue to go back and forth with the Peacocks.
Smith then played the role of closer, scoring the final nine points. He started it with a jumper to take the lead with 1:20 to play, followed it with a triple to take a two-point lead with 33 seconds left, and then converted a fastbreak and-one along with adding another free throw in the final dozen seconds to put the game on ice.
Kuehl paced the Northern offense with 19 points on 8-11 (72.7%) shooting. Smith followed with 15, Sam Privet added 13 points and nine boards, and Derek Merwick found double figures with 11 points off the bench, going 3-3 from beyond the arc.
The ‘Cats shot north of 50% for the second time this season, going 30-57 (52.6%). The defense held the Peacocks to 23-66 (34.8%) on the day, and it was needed, as NMU committed 10 more turnovers (17-7), being outscored 19-6 off those mishaps. The ‘Cats controlled the glass for the seventh time this season, pulling down 42 to UIU’s 34.
Privet scored the first four for the Wildcats and Gerald Gittens Jr. continued where he left off, notching two steals in the opening minutes. Biggie Luster followed with a steal of his own that led to a fastbreak one-handed flush, and Privet added another dunk a few minutes later as the score settled at 15-15 through 10 minutes.
Brian Parzych picked up an and-one with 5:14 before halftime, one of two he would record on the afternoon, to give NMU a 22-21 edge. After the Wildcats started 1-8 from beyond the arc, Merwick came in and hit a pair of threes in the final three minutes of the first half as NMU trailed Upper Iowa 34-33 at the break.
The first half saw a dozen lead changes and 10 ties. Only 40 seconds of the opening 20 minutes were played at more than a one-possession game. Kuehl and Privet co-led the offense with nine apiece at the break.
Upper Iowa scored the first five out of halftime and held the largest lead of the game, 47-40, with 16:38 to play. The Wildcats responded by attacking the rim, as its first five field goals of the second half came in the paint. A Merwick layup tied the score at 51’s with 12:53 to play. He would add his third triple of the game at 11:55 to give the ‘Cats its first lead of the second, 54-53.
The Peacocks regained the lead as the second half crossed its halfway point. They wouldn’t relinquish that lead until a Kuehl underhand scoop pushed NMU back ahead 66-65 with 5:20 remaining. As the teams exchanged blows, Kuehl would add a hook shot and a driving layup as the lead changes piled up.
Trailing 71-70 with 90 seconds left, Smith connected on a jumper to once again put NMU ahead. The Peacocks took the lead right back the next trip down the floor, but Smith hit his first triple after an 0-6 start with 33 seconds left to give NMU a two-point cushion at 75-73.
The ‘Cats defense followed with a big stop and Privet pulled down the rebound, found the outlet in Gittens Jr., who threw it ahead to Smith who converted on an and-one to lead 78-73 with a dozen ticks left on the clock. After an Upper Iowa missed three, Smith would hit one of two free throws for the final dagger.
Northern Michigan has now won four straight and went a perfect 4-0 in its three trips to Wisconsin Dells this season. NMU improved to 7-2 while the Peacocks fell to 7-3.
Up Next
Northern will have one final game in the 2024 calendar year as they’ll host Northland College (Ashland, WI) on Saturday, December 21 at 2 p.m. before an 11-day hiatus takes them into 2025 and a return to conference play.
