WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – Graduate forward Dylan Kuehl scored a career-high 35 points as the Northern Michigan men’s basketball team defeated the Northern State Wolves on Friday night at the Justagame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells.
After a slow offensive start to the night for the Green and Gold, Kuehl stepped up in a big way, scoring 18 first-half points, 12 of which came in the final five minutes, to turn a deficit into a 31-26 halftime lead. Needing to fend off a Northern State comeback attempt in the second half, he added 17 more points to build a cushion and finish strong, consistently providing the spark NMU needed at critical moments.
His 35-point outburst came on an efficient 13-22 (59.1%) shooting performance, including a 7-8 (87.5%) mark from the charity stripe. He also led the Wildcats with five assists and added five rebounds, delivering one of the most complete games of his NMU career.
Jackson Dudek followed with 14 points and Cal Klesmit added 13 more as the Wildcats’ supporting cast helped sustain momentum throughout both halves.
In total, NMU put up 22 more shots (69-47) than the Wolves. The defense was the driving force behind that margin, as the Wildcats forced Northern State into 21 turnovers and turned those into a remarkable 32 points, compared to just three for NSU. Klesmit led the efforts with three of NMU’s nine steals.
The Wildcats also dominated the offensive glass, 13-5, creating extended possessions and further feeding their offensive rhythm. NMU held the overall rebound advantage 36-30. It was a true team effort attacking the glass, as all eight ‘Cats recorded at least three boards, but no one had more than five.
The win moves the Wildcats to 2-1 on the young season while they also picked up their first victory over Northern State in program history (1-1).
How it Happened
The Wolves opened the game with the first five points before Jackson Dudek got Northern on the board a couple of minutes in. It was a slow offensive start for the Wildcats, who managed just three made baskets over the first eight minutes and trailed 12-6.
As the first half progressed, Kuehl began to heat up in what ultimately became a full takeover from the graduate forward. He single-handedly carried the Wildcats back into it, scoring nine straight points to push Northern in front 23-22.
After a 0-14 start from beyond the arc, Cal Klesmit finally connected with 1:23 left in the half, and Kuehl added his own triple on the next possession. The duo’s back-to-back threes jolted NMU ahead 31-26 as the Wildcats closed the half on an 8-0 run.
Even while shots weren’t falling early, Northern kept itself afloat through effort plays, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds for eight second-chance points. But the story of the opening 20 minutes remained Kuehl, who was dominant from start to finish. He scored 18 first-half points, with 12 coming in the final five minutes as he took complete control.
Kuehl’s surge carried seamlessly into the second half, where he opened the scoring to reach 20 points. After a Dudek fastbreak dunk, Kuehl buried a four-point play to push the lead to double digits. Klesmit followed with another three, making it four straight makes from deep for NMU after 14 straight misses, and the Wildcats took a 42-30 lead in the early stages of the half.
Kuehl kept pressing from there, adding an and-one, a pair of free throws, and two more baskets to climb to a career-high 33 points. His dominance helped push Northern ahead by 20, 55-35, with 12:24 to play.
Despite the large lead, the Wolves kept battling and trimmed NMU’s lead down to single digits with an 11-0 run. Dudek halted the run with a basket in the paint, but NSU quickly answered with two more triples to make it 57-52 with 6:45 to go.
Freshman Brooks Hinson hit a crucial three and earned a trip to the charity stripe, where he went 2-2, to regain a double-digit lead and quiet the momentum. As the Wolves heated up, NMU needed to match, and Sam Privet stepped up with a pair of baskets in the paint to stay ahead by multiple possessions. Charlie Miller added a step back three, his only bucket of the night, to lead by 13 with less than three minutes left.
Up Next
The Wildcats will host Concordia (WI) on Wednesday, November 26, at 2 p.m. for the first home game of the season.
