Dudek paces NMU with 21 points
MARQUETTE, Mich. – Through 20 games, the No. 13-ranked Northern Michigan men’s basketball team has won 18 of them. They got there on Saturday afternoon with a convincing 83-62 win over Wayne State.
The Wildcats faced an early 5-0 deficit, but quickly erased that with a 19-2 run over nearly 10 minutes. Northern led 42-23 at halftime and maintained a lead of over 20 for much of the remainder of the game.
Offensively, the Wildcats finished 29-61 (47.5%) overall and 11-24 (45.8%) from beyond the arc. The Warriors were 23-52 (44.2%) and 6-18 (33.3%) from deep, while the Green and Gold commanded the glass once again, 41-29.
Jackson Dudek led the way with 21 points and eight rebounds. Bennett Basich added 15 points and five boards while Dylan Kuehl chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
Cal Klesmit notched a team-high six assists in NMU’s ninth game this season with 20 or more assists. The Wildcats also knocked down double-digit three-pointers for the 12th time, with Dudek (3-7) and Charlie Miller (3-3) leading the efforts.
Northern now sits at 18-2 overall, 9-1 in the GLIAC, and could be flirting with a top-10 national ranking come the release of Tuesday’s NABC Poll. The Wildcats are also a perfect 8-0 on their home court.
How it Happened
Wayne State opened the scoring with a quick 5-0 burst, but Charlie Miller answered with a three-pointer that flipped the momentum. That basket sparked a 9-0 Northern run, as the Wildcats held the Warriors scoreless for over a five-minute stretch. Brooks Hinson and Jackson Dudek each knocked down triples during the surge, pushing NMU in front 17-7 at the halfway point of the first half.
Northern continued to pour it on, extending the run to 10-0 and a 19-2 stretch as the offense heated up. Dudek stayed dialed in from deep, burying two more threes to stretch the lead to 30-14 with 5:55 remaining. The Wildcat defense stayed locked in as well, forcing a shot clock violation that led to a fourth-chance putback by Dylan Kuehl, making it 38-17 with 2:15 left.
In the closing seconds, Bennett Basich was fouled on a three-point attempt and went 2-3 at the line to send NMU into the break ahead 42-23. Dudek paced Northern with 13 points through 20 minutes.
Northern picked up right where it left off to begin the second, as Basich opened with five straight points to extend the lead to 51-27 by the first media timeout. Kuehl added an and-one shortly after, and the Wildcats comfortably maintained a 20-to-25 point cushion through much of the half.
Charlie Miller stayed perfect from beyond the arc, knocking down his third triple to give NMU its largest lead of the night at 69-43 with 7:30 remaining. The margin never wavered down the stretch, as Northern remained steady and in control. Aidan Bellisle put the finishing touch on the night with a three-pointer on the final possession, sealing a wire-to-wire second-half performance.
Up Next
The Wildcats will hit the road next weekend, making stops at Grand Valley State on Thursday, Jan. 29, and Davenport on Saturday, Jan. 31.
