Kyle Olagbegi paces Wildcats with 15 points and eleven rebounds
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – The Northern Michigan men’s basketball team battled back and forth with the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters on Sunday evening, ultimately falling 72-69.
The Wildcats fell behind by double digits in the first half, but battled back with a 9-0 run to even the score 37-37 at intermission. The Wildcats reclaimed the lead seven times in the second half, but were never able to build a lead larger than two. The Railsplitters led by three in the final seconds and NMU had a chance to send the game to overtime, but a half court heave from Kyle Olagbegi missed by inches, resulting in a heartbreak defeat for the Wildcats.
Olagbegi led the Wildcats with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double. Brooks Hinson and Pryce Gregoire each chipped in 10 while the Railsplitters were paced by 17 from Ryan Nutter.
The Wildcats shot 24-54 (44.4%) to LMU’s 24-56 (42.9%). Northern also controlled the glass 43-27, which led to a 16-8 edge in second chance points. Lincoln Memorial led in steals 15-3 and fastbreak points 14-2.
How it Happened
The Wildcats got off to a sluggish start but began to find their footing offensively after a few minutes passed. Pryce Gregoire scored the first four points for NMU, however, a 10-0 run from the LMU gave them a double-digit advantage at 24-13 with 9:10 remaining in the first half.
Turnovers continued to limit the Wildcats’ offensive rhythm, but the Green and Gold responded with a strong defensive stretch. NMU put together a 9-0 run, capped by a George Bellevue corner three, to tie the game at 26 with four minutes remaining.
The Railsplitters went more than six minutes without a field goal during the stretch. Brooks Hinson and Aidan Bellisle each connected from beyond the arc in the final 90 seconds to give NMU a brief lead before the teams went into halftime tied at 37. The Wildcats held a 22-12 advantage on the glass in the opening half.
Isaiah Allen opened the second half with back-to-back dunks as the Wildcats continued to battle, keeping the game within a possession for much of the period. NMU had several opportunities to extend its lead but couldn’t capitalize on its shots, and LMU eventually broke through with an 11-0 run to take a 56-46 lead. The Wildcats answered with three consecutive layups from Kyle Olagbegi before Bellevue knocked down another corner three to put NMU back in front, 62-61, with 6:41 remaining. Bellevue added a putback with four minutes to play as the Wildcats continued to fight for the lead.
Down the stretch, NMU couldn’t quite get the breaks it needed. Trailing by one, the Wildcats came up with a defensive stop but lost control of the ball out of bounds on a fast break with four seconds remaining. LMU converted both free throws, and Olagbegi’s half court heave at the buzzer narrowly missed as the Wildcats fell 72-69.
Up Next
The Wildcats will return to Wisconsin Dells for two games, starting on Friday, November 13. NMU will take on Missouri-St. Louis at 2 p.m. ET.
