Kuehl, Wildcats Advance In GLIAC Tourney, 81-73
This story was written by NMU Sports Information. Click the AUDIO buttons to hear comments from Dylan Kuehl and Coach Matt Majkrzak.
MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan men's basketball team outscored the Purdue Northwest Pride 41-29 in the second half to pull off a 71-63 victory in the GLIAC Quarterfinals. The Wildcats will now play host to the semifinals and final this weekend and will take on No. 4 Grand Valley in its semifinal contest.
Dylan Kuehl was phenomenal, leading all scorers with 27 points on an extremely efficient 13-17 (76.5%). He scored 10 in the first and followed it up with 17 in the second half when Northern needed it most. Brian Parzych was the other Wildcat in double figures with 15 while PNW's Brendan Temple had 26.
It was looking good for the Green and Gold out of the gate as they jumped out to an early 18-5 lead, but the Pride answered with a 15-2 run to tie the game at 20's. The Pride didn't settle for a tie and grabbed the lead before halftime, leading the No. 1 Wildcats 34-30 at the break.
Northern got right back into it once the second half started, connecting on its first seven shots. A Kuehl layup with a dozen minutes left tied the game at 49-49 and NMU would not trail the rest of the night. NMU would slowly increase the gap until the final horn, scoring four or five to every two or three from the Pride.
The Green and Gold shot 30-53 (56.6%) on the night while the Pride were 23-49 (46.9%). The Wildcats doubled up PNW 16-8 in assists and dominated points in the paint, 52-34.
The Wildcats bucked the trend of the No. 1 seed falling in the conference tournament which has happened each of the last four years.
The Wildcats will host No. 4 Grand Valley State on Saturday, March 9 after they defeated No. 5 Michigan Tech. The other semifinal taking place in Marquette will include No. 3 Ferris State and No. 7 Wayne State, who knocked off the second-seeded Lake Superior State Lakers.
