Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) men's basketball team secured a significant victory against the top-seeded Michigan Tech Huskies in Houghton, advancing to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) title game. Despite facing challenges such as foul trouble and their opponents' frequent visits to the free throw line in the second half, NMU managed to edge out a 69-68 win on the Huskies' home court.

The Wildcats initially led by 17 points early in the second half. However, they were called for nine of the first ten fouls during this period while Michigan Tech attempted 14 free throws. This allowed Tech to narrow the gap, setting up an intense finish.

In the final minute of play, Derek Merwick made two crucial trips to the free throw line, successfully scoring all four attempts and securing NMU's lead each time. The Wildcats maintained their advantage at 69-68 as time expired, withstanding a last-second attempt by Michigan Tech to score.

Dylan Kuehl delivered an impressive performance with 26 points and eight rebounds, shooting 55.6% from the field. Jackson Dudek also contributed significantly with 11 points. For Michigan Tech, Marcus Tomashek was notable for his 28-point effort, primarily through successful free throws.

Northern Michigan shot 45.6% overall and controlled scoring within the paint with a margin of 36-28 over their opponents. They committed only five turnovers while recording eleven assists throughout the game.

This victory marks Michigan Tech's first home loss this season after previously maintaining a perfect record of 13-0 at home. It also continues a trend where regular-season champions have not won the tournament championship for seven consecutive seasons.

NMU will now compete against Lake Superior State in Sunday's championship game after Lake Superior State defeated Ferris State in another matchup.