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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University Men's basketball team held on for a 81-75 victory at Davenport on Saturday (Feb. 12). NMU put up 51 points in the first half behind 11 triples and held on for a 2-0 weekend on the road. 

NMU improved to 12-11 on the season with an 8-8 GLIAC record. 

STAT LEADERS

• Justin Brookens led the way on Saturday with 20 points. Brookens hit 6-12 attempts from beyond the three-point line. 
• NMU made 11 three-point baskets in the first half on their way to putting up 51 points in the first 20 minutes.
• Max Bjorklund added 14 points while John Kerr contributed a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. 
• Justin Kuehl, Carson Smith, and Brian Parzych played well off the bench, adding 19 combine points to the Wildcat effort.

FIRST HALF
Max Bjorklund started the scoring for the 'Cats on Saturday afternoon, knocking down a pull up jumper a minute in. 

Justin Brookens connected on a corner three to maintain a quick tempo early. Ben Wolf fought on the offensive glass the next possession as NMU led 7-5.

Brookens drained another three-point attempt to give the Wildcats a 10-8 lead at the first media timeout. 

After a strong outing at GVSU on Thursday, Justin Kuehl maintained his impressive play, rattling home a triple attempt with 13:25 to play. 

Bjorklund connected on a corner triple while Brian Paryzch soon thereafter generated a steal and layed it in on the other end. NMU led 20-10 after a 10-0 run with 11:50 on the clock. 

Kuehl stayed hot from the field, swishing another three to push the run to 15-0. 

Ben Wolf made his presence felt on defense, coming up with a big rejection at the rim. NMU led 30-14 with eight minutes to play.

Nick Wagner got the defense to bite on a pump fake from deep, taking a drive and finishing an up-and-under to give him five points. 

Brookens scored his third triple of the afternoon, pushing the Northern lead to 35-19 with five minutes to go. Two possessions later, Brookens connected on his fourth three from the top of the key. 

Nick Wagner continued the three-point barrage, hitting his second and the team's ninth of the afternoon to get the lead back to 16 at 41-25.

Brookens led the three-point party, making his fifth of the half as the Wildcats led 51-29 with less than a minute to play. 

Northern led by 20 at the break, 51-31. The Wildcats were 11-22 (50%) from downtown in the half. Justin Brookens had 15 points, while Bjorklund, Wagner, and Kerr all chipped in eight. 


SECOND HALF
Davenport came out with offensive pressure to start the second half, opening with an 8-3 run to pull within 15. 

Bjorklund reached ten points, banking home a two-pointer to get the lead back to 57-41.

The Panthers continued to chip away at their deficit, getting it down to a dozen five minutes into the half. 

For the first time since early in the first half, Davenport cut it to single digits on a triple right before the second media timeout. NMU held onto a 59-50 lead with 11:50 to play. 

Davenport's Jairus Stevens threw down a one-handed slam to get the Panthers all the way back to within four at 59-55. 

Kuehl found Ben Wolf down low and he turned around and put it in to get NMU back up nine with seven minutes to go.

Carson Smith connected on a big triple, following an offensive rebound off a missed free-throw to cap off a four point trip down the floor for NMU. The 'Cats led 68-57 with five minutes left.

After five straight from DU, Brookens came up with another big three. Northern claimed a 73-64 edge with less than four minutes to go.

John Kerr converted a pair of free throws as NMU led 77-67 with under three minutes left on the clock. 

NMU did what they needed to do down the stretch, hitting 12-16 free throws in the second half on their way to a 81-75 road win at Davenport.


UP NEXT
The Wildcats will wrap up their final home games of the regular season next week, hosting Wayne State on Thursday (Feb. 17) and Saginaw Valley State on Saturday (Feb. 19).