MARQUETTE, Mich. - The NMU men's basketball team returned from the holiday recess in the giving mood, dishing out a season-high 29 assists en route to a decisive 95-37 win.

The 'Cats posted a dominant second half to close out the game, out-scoring Ripon 62-18 while shooting 26-32 (81.3%) from the field and 5-9 (55.6%) from deep, out-rebounding Ripon 24-11, and dishing out 19 assists to Ripons three.

Carson Smith led the way for the 'Cats with 16 points, shooting 6-11 from the field and 4-6 from deep. Sam Schultz picked up a 12-point 11-rebound double-double, Dylan Kuehl and Sam Privet both scored 11 points, and Max Weisbrod and Brian Parzych both dished out eight assists to go with nine and seven points, respectively. 

The 'Cats shot 38-60 (63.3%) from the field and 11-25 (44.0%) from deep, while holding Ripon to 13-61 (21.3%) field goal shooting and 5-28 (17.9%) from beyond the arc. The 'Cats dominated the glass with 46 rebounds to 27, while handing out 29 assists as a team.

The 'Cats improve to 9-5 overall as they move back into conference play next weekend.

Cat Nips

• The 'Cats tied a season-high in made field goals (38) and steals (9) and set season-highs in assists (29)
• Carson Smith matched an individual season-high in 3pt field goals (4) and has recorded 11+ points his past four games
• Sam Schultz recorded his team-leading sixth double-double of the season, his second in a row and fourth straight game with 10+ rebounds
• Max Weisbrod matched his season-high with eight assists and has recorded 4+ assists in six straight games
• With 11 points, Dylan Kuehl earned his ninth straight game with double-digit scoring. Kuehl has scored 11+ points in all but one game this season (11/12/23, seven points)
• Sam Privet matched his season-high 11 points off a smooth 5-6 field goal shooting and 1-2 three-point shooting

How It Happened
1st Half
The 'Cats jumped out to an 11-4 lead five minutes into the half, with four different Wildcats recording a basket, three coming from beyond the arc as the 'Cats shot 3/6 from deep to start. The three-point shooting excelled early, as Weisbrod and Brooks hit back-to-back threes to extend the lead to 12 points just under halfway through the frame. Five of the 'Cats six baskets in the first 10 minutes were 3-point shots. 

A 16-5 run for the 'Cats found the green and gold with a 24-7 lead just over the halfway point. Brooks' second three-point and a Smith layup found the score at 29-9 NMU, extended the 'Cats lead to 20 with just over five minutes remaining.

Carson Smith led the Wildcat scorers with seven points going into the locker room, followed by Schultz, Weisbrod, and Brooks each with six. Schultz found himself with eight rebounds in the first half, and Parzych distributed the ball well with four assists to go with his five points. 

As a team, the 'Cats shot 12-27 (44.4%) from the field and 6-15 (40%) from deep, while holding Ripon to a mere 8-29 from the field (27.6%) and 2-12 (16.7%) from beyond the arc. The 'Cats out-rebounded Ripon 21-16, recorded 10 assists to Ripons three, and never trailed in the first half.

2nd Half
The 'Cats opened up the second frame with a 20-3 run, highlighted by back-to-back threes from Smith and six points from Kuehl.

The 'Cats would go on a 14-3 run with seven of those points coming from the hand of Privet, giving him double-digit figures in the points column, and a Schultz layup to get him to another double-double.

The 'Cats were shooting at a ridiculous pace in the final frame, going 21-23 (91.3%) from the field and 5-6 (83.3%) from beyond the arc with just over six minutes remaining in the game.

The 'Cats cruised through the second half, outscoring their opponents 62-18. The 'Cats shot an efficient 26-32 (81.3%) from the field and 5-9 (55.6%) from beyond the arc, while holding the opposition to 5-32 (15.6%) from the field and 3-16 (18.8%) from deep. The 'Cats out-boarded Ripon 24-10 and dished out 19 assists to three.

Up Next
The 'Cats resume GLIAC play, as they travel downstate this upcoming weekend for conference matchups against Davenport and Grand Valley State.