Kuehl leads Wildcats with 15 points
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Northern Michigan men’s basketball team won its ninth straight game Friday night, defeating UPR Rio Piedras 81-42 in game two of three at the Puerto Rico Clasico.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 15-0 lead and never looked back, controlling the game wire-to-wire. NMU carried a 38-20 advantage into halftime and stretched the margin to as many as 40 in the second half.
Dylan Kuehl led Northern with 15 points, while Jackson Dudek added 13. The Wildcats shot 30-66 (45.5%) from the field and 11-31 (35.5%) from beyond the arc. Defensively, NMU limited Rio Piedras to 11-44 (25.0%) shooting and just 4-18 (22.2%) from three, forcing 18 turnovers and holding a 22-4 edge in points off turnovers.
NMU is now allowing just 57.5 points per game, the top mark in all of Division II. The win also improved its scoring margin to +25.6, ranking fourth nationally, and its rebound margin to +14.0, ranking second.
The Wildcats improved to 10-1 on the season and will look to close the Puerto Rico Clasico at 3-0 on Saturday.
How it Happened
Northern wasted no time asserting control, scoring the game’s first 15 points. Dylan Kuehl sparked the start by accounting for the Wildcats’ first six points with a free throw, a jumper, and a three. Bennett Basich then beat the shot-clock buzzer with a triple to cap the run and make it 15-0 at the 12:18 mark, as Rio Piedras missed its first nine shots and did not get on the board until 11:46.
Northern continued to press as Charlie Miller knocked down a three to extend the lead to 21-5 midway through the first half.
The Wildcats closed the half with a strong finishing stretch, getting back-to-back triples from Jackson Dudek and Miller in the final 75 seconds. The late flurry sent Northern into the locker room with a 38-20 lead at halftime.
Northern picked up right where it left off after the break, opening the second half with back-to-back layups and a three from Dudek to account for the Wildcats’ first seven points. Cal Klesmit followed with a triple of his own as NMU quickly doubled up UPR Rio Piedras, building a 48-24 advantage four minutes into the half.
The Wildcats then rattled off a 12-0 run with consecutive baskets from Kuehl to lead by 30, 54-24, with 14:05 remaining. Northern wasn’t finished as a later 7-0 run stretched the margin to 40 points, 69-29, with 6:40 left.
From there, NMU comfortably maintained its commanding lead and cruised to the finish line, securing an 81-42 victory.
Up Next
Northern will close out the Puerto Rico Clasico and the 2025 portion of the schedule tomorrow (Dec. 20), taking on UPR Bayamon at 6:30 p.m. EST.
