Wildcats suffer second straight double-digit deficit to begin the game
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – The Northern Michigan men’s basketball team came back from a 15-point deficit to take a second-half lead, but ultimately fell just short in a 64-59 defeat to the Winona State Warriors on Saturday afternoon.
Northern fell behind 11-0 out of the gates and trailed 41-26 late in the first half before shrinking the margin to single figures, 41-32, at the break. The Wildcats then went on a 15-2 run in the middle minutes of the second half to claim their first lead. The lead flipped hands eight times over the final minutes, but Winona State scored the final seven points to take the win.
The Wildcats hit 14 threes, including 10 in the first half to account for 30 of the 32 points. Pryce Gregoire connected on five and led NMU with 15 points. Brook Hinson followed with 12. Winona State was led by Luke Haertle with 19 points.
NMU struggled from the field, shooting 21-for-60 (35.0%) and 14-for-38 (36.8%) from three. The Warriors finished 26-of-55 (47.3%) overall and 7-19 (36.8%) from beyond the arc.
NMU led in rebounds 39-30, but a 16-11 margin in turnovers led to a 20-7 Warriors advantage in points off turnovers.
How it Happened
Winona State came out firing, opening the game on an 11-0 run before Brooks Hinson got Northern on the board with a three-pointer. The Wildcats struggled to find their footing inside the arc early, going 0-for-5 on two-point attempts while relying on the perimeter to stay within striking distance.
NMU’s first four field goals came from four different players, all from beyond the arc, as the Wildcats pulled within four at 27-23 behind three triples from Caden Gustafson. The Warriors responded with a 9-0 run to build their largest lead, but Pryce Gregoire knocked down back-to-back threes, including one at the buzzer, to bring NMU within 41-32 at halftime.
The Wildcats leaned on their outside shooting, going 10-for-23 from three in the opening half, with 30 of their 32 points coming from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, WSU found much of its success attacking the paint, holding a 22-2 advantage in points inside.
Both offenses cooled off to open the second half, with the Warriors maintaining a double-digit advantage before NMU began to find its rhythm. The Wildcats put together a 15-2 run in the middle stages of the half to erase the deficit and take their first lead of the game at 51-50 on a Kyle Olagbegi three-pointer with 7:53 remaining. Winona State managed just one field goal over a stretch of more than nine minutes as the game turned into a back-and-forth battle down the stretch.
The teams traded leads throughout the closing minutes, with all eight lead changes coming in the final eight minutes. Hinson helped keep the Wildcats close with six consecutive points as the teams remained within one possession. WSU finally created some separation with a jumper to go ahead 62-59 with 21 seconds remaining. Gustafson’s three-point attempt to tie the game came up short, and the Warriors converted both free throws to secure the 64-59 victory.
Up Next
NMU returns to Wisconsin Dells next weekend. They will take on St. Cloud State on Friday, November 20, and Minnesota State on Saturday, November 21.
