Kuehn scores 23 points, collects eleven rebounds for the Wildcats
MARQUETTE, Mich. – Thrilling. Loud. Electric.
Those were just some of the words that could describe the atmosphere at Vandament Arena on Thursday night.
In front of a sold-out crowd, the No. 22 Northern Michigan Wildcats knocked off their UP rival and No. 12 Michigan Tech 70-64 in a thrilling, high-intensity battle.
The teams exchanged blows early, but NMU put together the first sizable run of 7-0 to lead 18-10 over halfway through the opening half. Tech hung around, but Northern maintained that eight-point edge, 32-24, at halftime.
The game stayed close in the opening minutes of the second half, but Northern managed another stretch of 9-0 to lead 49-36 with 12 minutes to go. That would stretch to 58-43, the largest lead of the night, with seven minutes and change remaining.
The Huskies hit back-to-back threes in a 10-1 run to trim the gap to 63-58 with 2:40 to go. From there, NMU converted a key bucket from Dylan Kuehl and free throws from Charlie Miller and Sam Privet. Despite a couple of late threes from Tech, it was lights out as the Wildcats secured a pivotal top-25 win on their home court.
Speaking of Kuehl, he was sensational yet again. He paced all players with 23 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, while finishing second on the team with four assists. He shot 9-15 (60%). Sam Privet had a breakout game as a new insert into the starting lineup, contributing 16 points on 6-9 (66.7%) shooting to go along with five boards.
Michigan Tech was led by Dawson Nordgaard with 18 and Marcus Tomashek with 15.
Neither side shot particularly well, as was expected with two of the top defensive units in the nation. NMU finished at 41.1% while Tech was 43.3%. Each team hit seven threes, with NMU attempting 23 and Tech 24. The ‘Cats were 17-22 (77.3%) at the charity stripe while the Huskies were 5-7 (71.4%).
The Wildcats controlled the glass 38-33 and assists 16-12. In a game with two evenly matched teams, those were about the only stats that saw some separation.
In addition, Saginaw Valley’s 92-65 victory over Grand Valley moves the Wildcats into a three-way tie with the Lakers and Huskies for the conference lead at 13-4. Northern will be home for the GLIAC Quarterfinals on March 4, but the Regular Season title is still up for grabs with three games to play.
Of note, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) raised a remarkable $1,100.91 for Make-A-Wish during tonight’s Miracle Minute.
How it Happened
Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech delivered a high-energy rivalry battle in front of a packed, electric crowd.
Jackson Dudek opened the scoring with a putback before both teams traded highlight dunks early, setting the tone for a physical, loud start. Charlie Miller knocked down a three to give NMU a 9-6 lead six minutes in, and momentum began to build midway through the half when Dudek and Bennett Basich connected from deep to push the Wildcats ahead 16-10 in a defensive battle.
Sam Privet then sparked the offense with back-to-back triples, and consecutive baskets from Dylan Kuehl extended the lead to double digits, 30-19, with 3:20 remaining.
The Wildcats carried that momentum into the break with a 32-24 halftime lead.
Privet stayed hot coming out of the locker room, scoring on a floater to open the second half. Marcus Tomashek responded for the Huskies, helping trim the margin, but NMU held a 38-34 advantage at the first media timeout. Kuehl answered with a key three-pointer that ignited a 9-0 run, stretching the lead to 49-36 with 12 minutes to play. Cal Klesmit added another triple as the Wildcats’ lead grew to 54-39, the largest gap of the game.
Privet delivered a powerful dunk that brought the sold-out crowd to its feet and pushed Northern ahead 58-45 with 7:15 remaining. Tech countered behind back-to-back threes from Tomashek to cut the deficit to 62-54 with 4:28 left and later pulled within five at 63-58. Kuehl halted the surge with a crucial basket approaching the two-minute mark, and Privet followed with a key defensive rebound that led to second-chance free throws, extending the lead to 67-58 with 1:10 to play.
Northern’s defense closed the door in the final minute, forcing empty possessions and controlling the glass to limit second looks. Privet added free throws in the closing seconds to seal the rivalry win as the Wildcats fed off the energy of the full arena, especially down the stretch.
Up Next
The Wildcats hit the road for the final away game of the regular season, taking on Ferris State on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m.
