ROMEOVILLE, Ill. -- Sophomore guard Marcus Hall led the Northern Michigan University men's basketball team with a game-high 15 points as the Wildcats dropped their season opener 78-57 to host Lewis University at the GLIAC/GLVC Challenge Friday.

Hall connected on 6-12 from the floor and was 3-7 from three-point range playing 33-minutes of action. Hall was the only NMU player to record double-digits. Freshman forward Kenny Williams came off the bench and was perfect from the floor going 3-3 while going 2-4 from the free throw line. Williams also led NMU with four rebounds.

NMU took the lead out of the gate after senior guard Larry Taylor connected on the first shot of the game, a  three-pointer before Hall  hit a jumper. A three by Jeff Jarosz with 17:17 left in the opening frame gave the Flyers their first lead, 6-5.

A three from Hall with 14:19 and a jumper from junior guard Ethan Blackwell tied the game for NMU in the opening frame but Lewis went on an 11-3 run over the next four minutes of action to stretch their lead.

A layup and a three-pointer from freshman Alex Sorenson moved the Wildcats to within three-points of the lead with 3:32 left in the first half but Lewis closed the half on a 9-0 run to take a 40-29 lead into the half.

Lewis maintained its lead in the second half and took its largest lead 69-54 when Jared Ellis made the first half of a pair of free throws with 5:08 left in the game.

NMU shot 45.7-percent from the floor (21-46) and connected on 36.4-percent (8-22) of their three-point attempts. The Flyers out rebounded NMU 29-21 in the contest and outscored the Wildcats 42-14 in the paint.

Kyle Nelson and Max Strus led Lewis with 13 points each while Nelson also led the sqaud with nine boards.

Northern Michigan continues action at the GLIAC/GLVC Challenge at 1 p.m. Saturday when they face off against Indianapolis.