Five Wildcats in double figures in nine-point win over Cardinals
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – It was a complete team effort for the No. 20 Northern Michigan Wildcats on Saturday afternoon, as they earned an 86-77 road victory over Saginaw Valley State behind balanced scoring and timely execution.
Five Wildcats reached double figures, with two others narrowly missing the mark. The most notable all-around performance came from redshirt freshman Bennett Basich, who impacted the game in nearly every facet. Basich posted a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double, controlling the glass while also leading the team with five assists and three steals. He added two blocks and repeatedly made winning plays on both ends, especially during key stretches of the second half.
Cal Klesmit led all scorers with 19 points, doing much of his damage from beyond the arc by knocking down five triples. Dylan Kuehl added 13 points of his own, narrowly missing a double-double with nine rebounds, while also contributing three blocks on the defensive end. Jackson Dudek provided a strong presence early, scoring all 11 of his points in the first half, and Brooks Hinson matched him with 11 points off the bench to give Northern another steady scoring option.
As a team, the Wildcats were efficient offensively, finishing 28-of-58 (48.3%) from the field and 11-of-25 (44.0%) from three-point range. Northern paired that shooting with a physical interior presence, holding a 40-32 rebounding advantage and outscoring SVSU 34-28 in the paint.
Defensively, the Wildcats were active and disruptive around the rim throughout the afternoon, recording six blocks overall, including five in the second half.
With the win, Northern improves to 16-2 overall and 7-1 in GLIAC play, remaining tied atop the conference standings with Michigan Tech, which also picked up a victory on Saturday.
How it Happened
Charlie Miller knocked down a three to open the scoring, and Jackson Dudek followed with two buckets inside before stepping out to connect from deep, capping an 8-0 run that gave NMU a 12-5 lead four minutes in.
Saginaw responded with eight of the next 10 points to trim the margin to one, but Isaiah Allen halted the momentum with a timely three. The Wildcats stayed in rhythm offensively while SVSU also found production, as NMU held a 27-20 advantage at the midway point of the first half.
Northern created separation again midway through the half. Brooks Hinson buried a three as part of a 9-0 Wildcat run that stretched the lead to 34-20 with six minutes remaining, during a stretch where NMU held SVSU scoreless for over five minutes. The Cardinals answered with seven straight points to halve their deficit.
The Wildcats closed the half with a strong response. Dylan Kuehl and Cal Klesmit connected on back-to-back three-pointers to rebuild the cushion to 42-29 with 2:46 left. Klesmit then banked in another triple in the final minute, sending Northern into the break with a 45-35 lead after shooting an efficient 8-15 from beyond the arc.
Northern picked up right where it left off to open the second half, as Klesmit knocked down threes on back-to-back possessions to push the lead to 53-39 at the 15:50 mark. Sam Privet followed with an and-one, capping a 9-2 run that stretched the advantage to 56-39 five minutes into the half.
Kuehl stayed hot, punctuating the run with an emphatic putback dunk as the Wildcats continued to pour it on. The lead quickly ballooned to 20 at 63-43 with 12 minutes remaining, and Klesmit buried yet another three to give him 11 points in the opening stretch of the half, pushing NMU’s cushion to its largest of the afternoon at 68-46.
SVSU made one final push late, using a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 78-68 with 2:30 remaining and continuing to connect from deep into the final minute to trim the margin to eight. Northern answered when it mattered most, as Bennett Basich came up with a clutch putback to halt the momentum and secure the finish.
Up Next
NMU returns home next week as they will welcome Purdue Northwest on Thursday, Jan. 22, and Wayne State on Saturday, Jan. 24.
