Coach Matt Majkrzak celebrates 36th birthday with a victory
CALEDONIA, Mich. – The No. 10 Northern Michigan Wildcats used balanced scoring and domination on the glass to defeat the Davenport Panthers 77-63 and move to 19-3 on the season and 10-2 in GLIAC play.
The back-and-forth first half saw seven ties and nine lead changes, with NMU ahead 41-38 at the break. Davenport closed the gap to two three times throughout the second half, and it was 66-63 with 2:50 to play, but the Wildcats never relinquished their halftime advantage and emphatically closed the game on an 11-0 run to secure the road win.
Dylan Kuehl led the Wildcats with 18 points and nine rebounds while contributing four assists. Jackson Dudek had 15 points on 6-7 shooting and pulled down seven boards. Brooks Hinson scored eight of his 11 in the second half, including a timely three in the closing minutes, while Sam Privet added 10 points and nine rebounds. Cal Klesmit dished out a game-high seven assists.
Northern held a 44-28 advantage on the glass, further improving its nation-best rebounding margin. NMU also led in offensive rebounds 14-9, which turned into a 13-6 second-chance advantage.
With Grand Valley’s victory over Michigan Tech, the Wildcats and Lakers are now tied atop the conference standings at 10-2.
How it Happened
Northern opened the game at a solid pace, with the teams tied 8-8 at the first media timeout. Davenport’s 17-13 lead at 11:24 marked the first time either team held more than a one-possession advantage. Isaiah Allen provided a spark for NMU with two early baskets, while Jackson Dudek added a corner three and a layup to become the first Wildcat in double figures, tying the game at 20-20 just past the halfway point of the half.
NMU then went on a 7-0 run, tied for its longest of the half, taking a 34-27 lead with five minutes remaining. Davenport answered with an 11-0 burst, ended by an and-one from Sam Privet. Northern closed the half by scoring the final seven points, including a putback dunk from Dylan Kuehl in the final seconds, taking a 41-38 lead into the break.
After a back-and-forth start to the half, it ended with each team structuring its own runs. The half featured seven ties and nine lead changes, with Kuehl scoring 11 points and Dudek 10.
The Wildcats opened the second half by scoring the first four points to push the lead to seven, a margin that held at 49-42 with four minutes elapsed. The Wildcats then went on another 7-0 run around the midway point of the half, holding Davenport scoreless for over five minutes.
Davenport closed the gap to 58-56 with seven minutes remaining, aided by five consecutive fouls called on NMU that resulted in a technical. The Panthers stayed close, but Northern maintained a narrow 63-61 lead with 3:30 left. Dylan Kuehl’s emphatic dunk pushed the advantage back to 66-61 at the three-minute mark.
Key late-game plays extended the lead, including Brooks Hinson’s third triple of the night and a putback from Trevor Polite to make it 71-63 with 1:45 remaining. Cal Klesmit hit the dagger from three to put NMU ahead 74-63 with a minute to go, and the Wildcats closed on an 11-0 run to seal the victory, after being up by just three with 2:50 left.
Up Next
Northern will return home to take on Saginaw Valley State on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m.
