DETROIT - After being ahead by as many as 15 points in the second half, the NMU men's basketball team needed overtime to edge the Wayne State Warriors 64-62 on Thursday. Freshman Max Weisbrod played from start to finish and led the 'Cats with a career-high 26 points. 

After an NMU-dominated first half, Wayne State returned the favor in the second half. With a 55-55 score at the end of regulation, Northern needed overtime to edge the feisty Warriors. 

The stat sheet looked nearly identical on each side in the contest. NMU shot 23-62 (37.1%) while WSU went 23-61 (37.7%) from the floor. Each side knocked in six triples with one more attempt from NMU. Each side shot 19 times at the free throw line, with Northern converting on 12 to WSU's 10. The Wildcats held a slim edge on the glass, 45-41. 

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 12-3 on the season with a 4-1 GLIAC record. 


How it Happened
After a scoreless 2:30 stretch to start the contest, Max Weisbrod got NMU into the scoring column with a triple. The Wildcats continued to have a productive first half, going on a 7-0 run to go up 19-10 ten minutes into the game. 

A Sam Schultz alley-oop to Dylan Kuehl, a Najashi Tolefree sky hook, and consecutive baskets in the paint from Sam Privet highlighted a 17-5 run late in the half to go up a dozen. That 12-point advantage would hold until the break, with NMU in front 33-21. 

After NMU appeared to start to put the game away in the initial minutes of the second half by building a 15-point lead, the Warriors hit back-to-back triples to cut it to single digits at 38-29 with 14 minutes still on the clock. 

Sam Privet had an answer from beyond the arc out of a timeout, but the Warriors would put together another run, this time of the 9-0 variety, to make it 43-38 with nine minutes to go. With scoring hard to come by, NMU would put together a 5-0 run with three minutes to play behind a Weisbrod triple to go up 52-44.

A late old-fashioned three-point play from Wayne State followed by a triple from Cortez Jackson with 28 seconds to go brought WSU all the way back to 55 all. A couple of bounces off the rim as time expired from the Wildcats would lead to a five-minute OT session. 

With a lot of back-and-forth in overtime, Justin Kuehl came up big at the stripe, knocking down two free throws, nothing but net, to go up by two. A Wayne State three at the buzzer was short and the 'Cats escaped with a road win. 


Postgame Notes

• Max Weisbrod played the entirety of the contest, scoring a career-high 26 points.
• Avery Lewis led the Warriors with 19 points.  
• Sam Schultz led the 'Cats with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. 
• On the night, NMU shot 23-62 (37.1%) while WSU went 23-61 (37.7%). Each side knocked in six triples. 
• Each side shot 19 times at the free throw line, with Northern converting on 12 to WSU's 10. 

Up Next
Northern Michigan will finish its downstate road trip with a matchup at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, January 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.