Wildcats play well in the final minutes of both halves to beat LSSU
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan men’s basketball team used a 13-4 run in the final minutes of a back-and-forth game against Lake Superior State to create separation and come away with a 79-67 semifinal win, advancing to Sunday’s GLIAC Championship game at Vandament Arena to face Grand Valley State at 2 p.m.
Northern closed the first half on a 10-0 run to lead 38-30 at the break and pushed its advantage to double-digits early in the second half. The Lakers fought back and closed the gap to one possession five times, but the Wildcats responded each time and never surrendered the lead.
Northern put together a key 7-0 run with less than five minutes left, all coming from Sam Privet, to extend the lead back to double figures.
From there, Northern beat Lake State’s press over the top for three open layups, and also converted at the free throw line, to secure the win and move on to the title game.
The Wildcats were led by GLIAC Player of the Year Dylan Kuehl with a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double. He also had a team-high five assists and proved his Defensive Player of the Year recognition with four blocks. Sam Privet scored 11, all in the final five minutes, while Cal Klesmit and Brooks Hinson each chipped in 10. LSSU was led by Nino Carter-Smith with 18 points and five steals.
Northern shot 27-60 (45.0%) for the game while holding Lake State below 40% at 23-61 (37.7%), which included 11-32 (34.4%) in the second half. NMU was a perfect 15-15 at the free throw line, while GVSU struggled to a tune of 12-20 (60.0%).
As they have all season, the top-seeded ‘Cats controlled the glass 45-31. NMU was efficient in the paint by outscoring LSSU 34-20. Northern also took better advantage of offensive rebounds with a 23-10 edge in second-chance points.
How it Happened
Dylan Kuehl opened the scoring with a strong drive and accounted for NMU’s first seven points as the Wildcats jumped out to a 12-9 lead five minutes in during a fast-paced start. LSSU answered with five straight points before Trevor Polite stopped the run with a three-pointer. Charlie Miller then sparked the offense, knocking down three free throws after being fouled on a triple and following it with another three to give NMU a 21-14 lead midway through the half.
The Lakers responded with an 11-0 run to take a 25-21 advantage as the Wildcats went nearly five minutes without a field goal. Northern struggled to find its rhythm offensively during that stretch until Brooks Hinson drilled a three-pointer to end the drought. The game settled into a back-and-forth rhythm late in the half before a Dylan Kuehl slam and a Bennett Basich driving layup forced a Lakers timeout with NMU leading 32-30 with two minutes remaining.
The Wildcats closed the half strong, as Basich buried a three and Hinson beat the buzzer with another triple to cap a 10-0 run and send Northern into the locker room with a 38-30 lead.
Cal Klesmit opened the second half with a three-pointer to push Northern’s lead to double digits at 41-30, but the Lakers quickly responded with the next eight points to cut the deficit to 41-38 in just over 30 seconds. Kuehl provided a spark defensively with a big rejection of Omar Suleiman, and moments later knocked down a three-pointer that helped push the Wildcats back ahead 50-43 and forced a Lakers timeout with 13:22 remaining.
The game remained tight into the final 10 minutes, with Northern holding a narrow 55-50 lead before Klesmit delivered a key corner three to extend the margin. Sam Privet then provided a decisive stretch, finishing a putback and knocking down a corner triple to push the lead to 67-58 with four minutes to play before adding two free throws to stretch it to 11.
As the Lakers began pressing late, the Wildcats broke the pressure repeatedly for easy layups, building a 75-61 lead with 90 seconds remaining to seal the win.
Up Next
The Wildcats will take on No. 3 seed Grand Valley State, who defeated No. 2 Michigan Tech. Opening tip will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Vandament Arena.
