Northern Michigan University's men's basketball team was defeated by Wayne State University, with a final score of 82-67 at Vandament Arena. The Wildcats struggled to recover from Wayne State's impressive early performance, which saw them make seven out of seven three-point attempts in the first seven minutes.
The Wildcats' bench contributed significantly, scoring 34 of the team's total points. Gerald Gittens Jr. led Northern Michigan with 17 points, followed by Dylan Kuehl with 16 points and nine rebounds, and Cal Klesmit who scored 11 points for the second consecutive game.
Wayne State's Rob Lee Jr. was pivotal in their victory, achieving a career-high of 40 points. He shot efficiently across all areas: 12-18 from the field, 6-8 from beyond the arc, and perfect from the free throw line with ten attempts. Carlos Paul III also added significant support off the bench with 18 points.
Statistically, Northern Michigan shot at a rate of 42.6% compared to Wayne State's higher percentage of 53.1%. The Warriors had an advantage in three-point shooting as well, making twelve out of twenty attempts compared to NMU's five successful shots on equal attempts.
Early in the game, Northern Michigan found themselves trailing by fifteen points within just seven minutes but managed to close this gap to two after a spirited run fueled by Gittens Jr. However, Wayne State quickly responded and extended their lead again before halftime.
Despite efforts to reduce their deficit during the second half—narrowing it down to single digits late in the game—the Wildcats could not sustain enough momentum for a comeback against Wayne State’s consistent responses.
This loss brings NMU's overall record to 11-4 and their conference record in GLIAC play to 5-2. Meanwhile, Wayne State improves its standing to an overall record of 8-7 and a conference record of 4-3.
Looking ahead, NMU aims for redemption when they face Saginaw Valley State Cardinals on Saturday following Saginaw’s recent narrow defeat against Michigan Tech.
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