MARQUETTE, Mich. — The Northern Michigan men's basketball team outlasted Northwood, 73-70, Saturday afternoon at the Berry Events Center.

Donnell Cegers led the Wildcats with 18 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Naba Echols added 18 points while Isaiah Johnson posted a career-high 15 points.  

Northern Michigan came out of halftime with a 36-28 lead. Terry Nash found Echols in the corner for at triple on Northern Michigan's first possession of the second half to run the score to 39-28. The Wildcats then went on to build a 10-point, 44-34, advantage by the 16:07 mark.

Northwood battled back, cutting the lead to five, 44-39, after a PJ Weaver layup. On the following possession, Echols drove the lane and found an open Johnson on the perimeter for three to make the score 47-39 with 14:47 remaining.

The Timberwolves came back to steal the lead, 51-50, after a Weaver layup with 9:04 to play. Northern Michigan answered with a 6-0 run highlighted by a Nash layup created by a Jordan Perez steal to take a 56-51 advantage with 7:20 to play. Northwood then came back to tie the game at 60 with 3:22 remaining. Johnson answered for the Wildcats with triples on back-to-back possessions to put Northern Michigan up by six, at 66-60, with 2:07 to play.

The Timberwolves cut the lead down to one, at 71-70, after a Dylan Langkabel triple from the corner with 18 seconds remaining. Echols was then fouled and connected on both free throws to give Northern Michigan a 73-70 lead with 15 seconds on the clock. The Wildcat defense closed out the remaining seconds, defending against a game-tying three point attempt by Jermaine Myers with three seconds to play.

In the first half, Northern Michigan ran out to an early 13-6 lead as part of an 8-0 run highlighted by a Perez triple. The Wildcats continued to bury shots and grew their largest lead of the game after Johnson dunked an offensive rebound to make it 24-13 with 8:33 to play. Northwood battled back to cut the lead to three, at 28-25, with 2:23 to play.

The Wildcats outrebounded the Timberwolves, 36-35. Northern Michigan also shot 75 percent from the free throw line.

The Wildcats will travel to rival Michigan Tech Feb. 25 to close out the regular season with tip off set for 7:30 p.m.