Isaiah Allen celebrates birthday with career-high 20 points
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The No. 18 men’s basketball team had one of its best shooting performances in recent history as the Wildcats dominated the Ferris State Bulldogs 95-66 on Monday night.
The Wildcats shot 38-60 (63.3%), their best output vs. a Division II opponent not only this season, but the best since Dec. 6, 2018 (41-63, 65.1% vs. Purdue Northwest). NMU was 29-38 (76.3%) from two-point range on the night, which included a near-perfect 15-17 (88.2%) in the first half.
For the fourth straight game, Dylan Kuehl led the way. He scored a game-high 23 points on an ultra-efficient 10-13 (76.9%) shooting display. Over his past four games, he is averaging 27.0 points per game and shooting 60.7% from the floor. He added two blocks and a highlight dunk.
Right behind Kuehl was Isaiah Allen, who celebrated his birthday with a career-high 20 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting night. Allen was aggressive throughout, scoring consistently on the block and from the high post while adding six rebounds.
Three other ‘Cats reached double figures. Charlie Miller and Jackson Dudek each scored a dozen, with Miller going 4-5 from three. Bennett Basich was a perfect 4-4 for 10 points while also leading the Green and Gold with seven rebounds.
As they have all season, Northern controlled the glass 41-23. With that, the Wildcats also heavily gained control in the paint, outscoring the Bulldogs 52-16 down low. NMU only committed six turnovers while dishing out 13 assists.
The 29-point victory is the largest for Northern against the Bulldogs since 2000, when claimed a 35-point win (80-45). The Wildcats are now 14-2 overall and 5-1 in the GLIAC, while Ferris fell to 6-7, 3-3.
How it Happened
Northern Michigan set the tone early behind its inside-out attack. Dylan Kuehl threw down a powerful dunk in the opening minutes, and Cal Klesmit followed with a three to give the Wildcats a 10-6 lead just over three minutes in. The opening stretch was competitive, but NMU created early separation with a 9-0 run capped by another Klesmit triple.
Isaiah Allen provided a spark in the middle of the half, scoring consistently by attacking the paint. A hook shot from Allen and a corner three from Charlie Miller pushed the lead to 28-20 at the midway point. Allen continued to heat up, starting 4-5 from the field for eight points, as Northern extended its advantage to 34-24 at the under-8 media timeout.
The Wildcats continued to build momentum from there, going on their second 9-0 run of the half. Miller knocked down another three to make it 39-24 with 6:39 remaining, and he stayed perfect from deep at 3-3. NMU’s success in the paint consistently drew help defenders, opening clean looks on the perimeter. Jackson Dudek later buried a three as the offense clicked at a high level, with the Wildcats making 21 of their first 28 shots.
Northern carried a 52-37 lead into halftime after shooting 21-31 (67.7%) in the opening half, including an efficient 15-17 on two-point attempts. The Wildcats held a 26-8 scoring advantage in the paint, while Kuehl led the way with 12 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting.
The second half began much like the first ended, as Kuehl scored on back-to-back possessions and Miller drained another three during an 8-0 burst to push the lead to 60-37. Northern maintained a cushion hovering around 20+ points for much of the half.
Sam Privet added a three to extend the margin to 72-47 midway through the second half, while Allen stayed aggressive offensively, scoring through contact and on contested jumpers. Allen later converted an and-one to help stretch the lead to 90-60 with under three minutes remaining.
The Wildcats closed strong down the stretch, with Jonny Ingalls knocking down a three and Allen reaching the 20-point mark, as Northern cruised to the finish behind balanced scoring.
Up Next
The Wildcats will hit the road this weekend, starting with a stop at Lake Superior State on Thursday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m.
