Wildcats will host LSSU in GLIAC Semifinal at Marquette
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan men’s basketball team rolled past the Ferris State Bulldogs 91-62 on Wednesday night to advance to the GLIAC Semifinals. Being the No. 1 seed, NMU will host the Semifinals and Championship on Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8.
Northern faced a hot-shooting start from the Bulldogs over the first five minutes, but settled in and led 41-28 at the half. NMU blew the doors open to start the second half, scoring 13 of the first 15 to lead 54-30. From there, the Wildcats cruised to the finish line.
Four ‘Cats reached double figures, led by Dylan Kuehl with 17. Bennett Basich and Jackson Dudek added 13, and Cal Klesmit chipped in a dozen. No Wildcat played more than 24 minutes.
Northern led in rebounds 39-30, second-chance points 20-7, and points off turnovers 12-6 while committing just five turnovers in the game. The Wildcats connected on 10-34 three-point attempts, while the Bulldogs managed just 4-23.
Northern is now 26-5 this season, the most wins in program history. They will play No. 4 Lake Superior State. The Lakers edged Purdue Northwest 93-91 in overtime. No. 2 Michigan Tech and No. 3 Grand Valley State will meet in the other semifinal.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday, March 6, at 10 a.m.
How it Happened
Ferris State came out firing, hitting its first six shots. Threes from Bennett Basich and Sam Privet helped the Wildcats settle in, tying the game at 10-10 by the first media timeout. NMU grabbed its first lead at 15-14 with 14:15 remaining in the half, but Ferris responded with a 6-0 run to move back in front. Cal Klesmit and Charlie Miller answered with back-to-back triples to keep it tight midway through the period.
The Bulldogs’ zone defense disrupted Northern’s early rhythm, forcing the Wildcats to go inside before kicking the ball back out to the perimeter. As the half wore on, NMU began to find seams in the zone and built its largest lead to that point at 30-24 with six minutes remaining.
The breakthrough moment came when Klesmit lofted a perfectly timed alley-oop over the top of the defense to Dylan Kuehl, igniting the crowd and pushing the lead to eight. Brooks Hinson added a three-pointer during a 7-0 run that stretched the advantage to 39-26 with 2:15 left. Northern carried that momentum into the locker room, taking a commanding 41-28 lead at halftime.
The Wildcats wasted no time extending their advantage after the break. Kuehl opened the second half with an emphatic putback dunk, setting the tone for a dominant stretch. NMU scored the first seven points in just over two minutes to build a 48-28 lead and force a Ferris timeout. The highlight sequence continued as Kuehl threw down another dunk in transition and then finished yet another alley-oop from Basich, giving him three slams in four minutes and pushing the margin to 54-30.
With the energy firmly on its side, Northern kept its foot on the gas. Klesmit and Basich each knocked down three-pointers as the Wildcats ballooned the lead past 30, reaching 69-38 midway through the second half and firmly seizing control.
Up Next
Northern will host Lake Superior State in the GLIAC Semifinals at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 7.
