Fourth player in Wildcat history to reach that milestone
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – One of the most dominant careers in Northern Michigan men’s basketball history reached new heights on Saturday afternoon, as Dylan Kuehl surpassed 2,000 career points in a dominant 75-53 win at Ferris State.
Kuehl scored a game-high 20 points, shooting 10-17 from the field. He added four rebounds and four assists. He is now just the fourth player in program history to reach the 2K milestone.
Jackson Dudek followed with 13 points, all coming in the second half, and Cal Klesmit chipped in a dozen. Ferris State was led by Tae Boyd with 15 points.
It was a dominant defensive performance for the Green and Gold, as they held the Bulldogs to 19-of-58 (32.8%) shooting on the afternoon while converting 29-of-58 (50%) of their own attempts. Northern also controlled the glass, outrebounding FSU 38-31 and outscoring them 42-20 in the paint.
NMU also excelled in ball movement and overall team effort, leading in assists 21-11. Seven Wildcats recorded at least three rebounds and two assists, highlighting the balanced contribution that helped the Green and Gold secure the win.
Northern put together a dominant 17-0 run over a seven-minute stretch in the first half to lead 34-21 at the break. A 7-0 run to open the second half pushed the lead to 20, and the Wildcats never looked back from there.
Now sitting at 23-5 overall and 14-4 in conference play, the No. 22 Wildcats had about as good a weekend as they could’ve asked for. With two big wins and two Grand Valley State defeats on the road, the Wildcats now enter the final weekend as the conference’s No. 1 seed, just ahead of Michigan Tech (22-5, 13-4) and Grand Valley State (20-6, 13-5).
How it Happened
A slow offensive start gave way to a dominant Northern surge in the opening half. Cal Klesmit scored first for the Wildcats, but Ferris State held an early 5-4 edge at the first media timeout. Brooks Hinson sparked the offense with Northern’s first three-pointer and followed with a driving layup, and Klesmit added a triple as NMU built a 14-7 lead midway through the period.
That was the kickstart to a decisive 17-0 run that included back-to-back threes from Charlie Miller and Sam Privet. Northern held Ferris State scoreless for more than seven minutes, forcing nine straight missed shots during the stretch, and extended the advantage to 23-7 with 6:18 remaining.
With 3:03 left in the half, Dylan Kuehl connected on a layup, giving him the remarkable achievement of 2,000 career points. He is now just the fourth Wildcat to ever reach that milestone.
The Bulldogs trimmed the deficit in the final couple of minutes of the opening half, but NMU carried a 34-21 lead into the break.
Northern came out of halftime firing, with Jackson Dudek opening the second half with an and-one that sparked a 7-0 run, stretching the lead to 41-21. Dudek then hit a pair of threes, totaling 11 points in less than six minutes, as the Wildcats took command with a 53-30 advantage six minutes into the half.
NMU continued to extend the margin behind efficient shooting and lockdown defense, leading 59-33 at the midway point of the second half. The Wildcats maintained roughly a 20-point cushion for the remainder of the game, cruising to a dominant road victory.
Up Next
The Wildcats return home for the final weekend of play, looking to earn a share of the regular season GLIAC title and the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament. NMU will host Roosevelt on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7:30 p.m.
