Wildcats have won ten straight games
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Northern Michigan men’s basketball team won its 10th straight game on Saturday night, defeating UPR Bayamon 97-54 to sweep the Puerto Rico Clasico heading into the holiday break.
The Wildcats had it going from beyond the arc throughout the night, knocking down a season-high 17 three-pointers. Cal Klesmit led the way with seven triples and a game-high 23 points, while Jackson Dudek went 3-3 from deep and added 14 points. Dudek is now 24-41 (58.5%) from three this season. Isaiah Allen also reached double figures with 13 points.
As they have all season, Northern controlled the glass, 42-24, and the assist column, 22-9. Every Wildcat recorded a rebound, and Charlie Miller led the team with five assists.
The Wildcats also forced Bayamon into 19 turnovers, turning them into a 27-7 advantage in points off turnovers. Northern notched a season-high 16 steals, while Klesmit’s four paved the way.
Northern continued to showcase its all-around efficiency while improving to 11-1 on the season. NMU ranks first nationally in scoring defense (57.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), while also sitting in the top three in both scoring margin (27.1) and rebound margin (14.3).
How it Happened
Charlie Miller jumpstarted Northern with a transition three, followed by another from Cal Klesmit and a Dylan Kuehl dunk as the Wildcats built an 8-3 lead four minutes in.
Bayamon stayed within striking distance early, but consecutive triples from Miller, Klesmit, and Ross Robertson pushed NMU out front 20-10 at the midway point of the first half.
The Wildcats then reached another gear from deep. Jackson Dudek joined the three-point barrage, while Klesmit knocked down two more as Northern opened the game 8-14 from beyond the arc. A 12-0 run, all on threes, gave NMU a commanding 29-10 advantage with 7:41 remaining, with 15 of the team’s first 21 shots coming from long range.
Defensively, Northern locked in, holding Bayamon without a field goal for more than six and a half minutes while forcing four turnovers during the stretch. As the half wound down, Dudek and Klesmit connected on back-to-back threes as part of an 8-0 spurt, with Klesmit adding his sixth triple of the half in the final minute to send the Wildcats into the break leading 48-25.
NMU finished the half 11-of-20 from three, with Klesmit scoring 18 points, and controlled the glass with a 20-11 rebounding advantage.
After the break, Northern wasted no time reasserting control. The Wildcats opened the second half by scoring the first six points, pushing the margin to 30 at 57-27 just over three minutes in. NMU stayed efficient on the offensive end, knocking down nine of its first 14 shots coming out of halftime to keep Bayamon at arm’s length.
Klesmit continued his hot shooting night, drilling his seventh three-pointer to make it 71-34 at the 10:47 mark. Northern’s depth showed as the half progressed, with Aidan Bellisle and Isaiah Allen each connecting from deep during a 14-2 run that extended the lead to 90-45 with 4:30 remaining.
The Wildcats put an exclamation point on the night late, as Nathan Fife buried NMU’s 17th three-pointer, a new season high, marking the first field goal of his collegiate career as Northern cruised to the finish.
Up Next
The Wildcats will now head to break and return to action on New Year’s Day, hosting Davenport at 7:30 p.m.
