51-29 lead after the first half
DETROIT – The No. 17 Northern Michigan Wildcats dominated the offensive glass on Thursday night, cruising past the Wayne State Warriors 82-62.
NMU made its mark with rebounds, as they have all season. The Wildcats held a 16-5 advantage on the offensive boards, fueling a 25-8 edge in second-chance points. NMU dominated the glass overall, 41-25, with Trevor Polite reinserted into the starting lineup, leading the team with eight rebounds, followed by Bennett Basich with seven.
The first 10 minutes featured tight, back-and-forth action, with six ties, nine lead changes, and a 20-20 deadlock. But the Green and Gold finished the half in dominant fashion, scoring 31 of the final 40 points while holding Wayne State without a field goal for the final seven minutes, building a commanding 51-29 lead at the break.
The Warriors mounted four separate rallies to trim the deficit to 11 or 12 points, but NMU answered each time and never relinquished its double-digit cushion, eventually stretching the lead back to 20 late en route to the 82-62 final.
While both sides shot similarly from the floor-NMU at 46.8% (29-62) and Wayne State at 46.3% (25-54)-the Wildcats had more success from beyond the arc, knocking down 10-of-30 triples compared to WSU’s 3-of-13.
Dylan Kuehl paced the Wildcats with 19 points, adding five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Cal Klesmit contributed 17 points, including a game-high four threes, along with six assists, while Jackson Dudek added 13 points of his own.
Now 21-4 overall and 12-3 in conference play, the Wildcats maintain their spot in a multi-way tie atop the GLIAC standings.
How it Happened
Northern struck early from deep as Cal Klesmit knocked down a pair of triples in the opening minutes. Both teams found immediate offensive rhythm, with Wayne State converting its first four field goals in the paint while the Wildcats scored on their first three possessions to reach an 8-8 tie at the first media timeout.
Charlie Miller provided a spark off the bench with a three, and the back-and-forth pace continued as the teams remained deadlocked at 18-18 with 11:53 to play. Jackson Dudek then buried a triple to help Northern inch in front, and the Wildcats began to create separation through second-chance opportunities.
Relentless work on the offensive glass fueled an 11-2 Northern run. Dudek converted an and-one on a putback, Klesmit added another three, and Dylan Kuehl followed with one from deep as the Wildcats built a 31-22 advantage to force a timeout. Northern continued to connect from beyond the arc between media breaks, stretching the lead to double digits at 38-28 with 4:43 remaining.
The Wildcats dominated the closing stretch of the half. Brooke Hinson’s triple marked Northern’s seventh from long range, and the defense clamped down, holding the Warriors without a field goal for the final seven minutes. Northern closed the half on an 18-2 surge to take a commanding 51-29 lead into the break.
After a tightly contested first half of the opening 20 minutes that featured six ties and nine lead changes, Northern controlled the final portion of the half by a 31-9 margin. The Wildcats owned a 10-2 advantage on the offensive glass that translated into a 17-3 margin in second-chance points, while committing just two turnovers.
Wayne State opened the second half on an 8-0 run to trim Northern’s lead to 51-37, but the Wildcats struggled to score in the early minutes, adding just two points over the first five. Kuehl ended the drought with an and-one after the Warriors had cut the deficit to 12.
Miller hit a key step-back three off a takeaway to keep Northern in control, maintaining a 16-point cushion with eight minutes remaining. The Warriors again whittled the lead to 11, but the Wildcats responded immediately as Klesmit drilled a three, pushing the advantage back to 63-49 with 10 minutes left. Another 11-point gap saw Kuehl answer from deep to maintain momentum.
From there, Northern gradually extended its margin. The Wildcats eventually restored a 20-point lead at 80-60 with 2:30 remaining and never allowed Wayne State to come within single digits, closing out a decisive victory.
Up Next
NMU will look to sweep the weekend road trip with a stop at Purdue Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 4 p.m. ET.
