Kuehl leads Wildcats with 27 points and seven rebounds
HAMMOND, Ind. – In a tightly contested game at Purdue Northwest on Saturday evening, the No. 17 Northern Michigan Wildcats fell in an 88-76 defeat.
While Northern was within two late, the Pride went on a 12-0 run in the closing minutes to make the difference and put the game away. The Wildcats are now 12-4 in conference play, falling a game behind Grand Valley State and Michigan Tech.
Dylan Kuehl led the way with 27 points, going 12-18 from the field. He also had a team-high seven rebounds. Bennett Basich added 15 and Sam Privet another 14 while the Pride were paced by Ahlante Askew with 22, one of five in double figures for the home team.
Northern was outrebounded 34-27 while the Pride converted 50% or better shooting in each half.
Northern and Purdue Northwest traded early blows in a high-efficiency opening half. Jackson Dudek knocked down a pair of threes as PNW held a 16-13 edge. The teams combined to open 14-17 from the field, including 7-8 from beyond the arc, before Charlie Miller came off the bench and matched the hot shooting with three triples to help NMU take its first lead at 22-21.
PNW answered to move back in front, 28-27, with seven minutes left, and the back-and-forth battle continued. The Wildcats briefly hit an offensive lull, managing just one field goal between the 12-minute and five-minute marks, but back-to-back buckets from Dylan Kuehl pushed NMU ahead 33-31 at the final media timeout.
The teams continued to trade scores down the stretch, and a buzzer-beater from Bennett Basich gave NMU a 40-38 lead at halftime, with both sides shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
The Pride seized control early in the second half, scoring 16 of the first 22 points to build a 54-46 lead with 12 minutes remaining. Northern, which committed just two turnovers in the first half, had four early giveaways as the Pride maintained an eight-point edge midway through the period.
NMU chipped away behind Kuehl, who scored three baskets in a key stretch to keep the Wildcats within striking distance. The deficit was finally trimmed to one possession, 63-61, with six minutes to play, but PNW responded with the next 12 points to push the margin back to double digits.
The Wildcats’ offense went cold late, going without a field goal from the 4:40 mark until Basich buried a three at 1:14 to halt the run. Kuehl followed with an and-one to cut the deficit to seven with one minute left, but a technical foul in addition to a personal foul sent the Pride to the line for four free throws, all converted, effectively sealing the result.
Up Next
Northern will welcome rival Michigan Tech to Vandament Arena on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in a crucial game at the top of the GLIAC standings.
