MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University men's basketball team goes up the road this weekend for its last regular season matchup, squaring off against the Michigan Tech Huskies. The 'Cats are locked into the third seed for the GLIAC Tournament with a 20-7 overall record and a 12-5 conference record, and the Huskies have also clinched a playoff birth, currently sitting eighth with an 8-18 overall record and 5-12 in the conference. 

The game will be broadcasted on FoxUP with Dave Ellis and Mark Evans on the call. Tip-off is set for Saturday, February 25 at 3 p.m. from the SDC Gymnasium in Houghton, Michigan. 


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Saturday, February 25 - at Michigan Tech at 3:00 p.m.
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Last Time Out
The Green and Gold hosted the Parkside Rangers and the Purdue Northwest Pride for its last pair of regular season home matchups, both resulting in wins for the Wildcats. 

On Thursday, the 'Cats welcomed the GLIAC-leading Parkside Rangers to town and took care of business, routing the Rangers by a score of 73-47. The 'Cats dominated the hardwood as they never trailed while holding an opponent to a season-low output in total points. Max Bjorklund led the way for the Wildcats, amassing 22 points on 11-16 shooting from the field. Max also pulled down seven boards and dished out three helpers. Max Weisbrod was equally efficient for the 'Cats, putting up 15 points on 5-9 shooting from the field and 4-7 shooting from deep. Weisbrod dished out a team-high seven assists and had four rebounds along with two steals. 

Saturday saw another positive result, as Max Bjorklund (24 points) and Max Weisbrod (22 points) combined for 46 as Northern Michigan defeated the Pride by an 84-78 score in the final regular season home game. Despite scoring 84, the 'Cats shot just 26-68 (38.2%) and 6-21 (28.6%) from three. The Pride had a better touch from the floor, going 24-51 (47.1%) and a hot 15-28 (53.6%) from deep. 


Cat Attack
The Wildcats are 20-7 (12-5 GLIAC), good for third place in the GLIAC behind Parkside and Ferris State. Northern is averaging 81.4 PPG while holding the opposition to a mark of 71.3 PPG.

For as young as the 'Cats are, they have the lowest turnover clip per game in the GLIAC at 9.9. That is the 9th lowest turnover average in Division II. The Wildcats also do a good job cleaning up the glass, averaging 6.9 more rebounds per game than the competition. No one in the GLIAC allows fewer offensive rebounds than the 'Cats, limiting opponents to 7.0/per game. 

NMU is led by Max Bjorklund, scoring 20.5 per contest, the best mark in the GLIAC. Freshman Dylan Kuehl is averaging 12.9 PPG and leads the team with 6.6 RPG, good for second-best in the GLIAC. His 55.9 FG% is third in the GLIAC and second-best among Division II freshmen. Max Weisbrod is averaging double figures at 11.9 PPG and leads the team in assists at 5.2 APG, good for second across the conference landscape and runner-up in the country among first-year players. Wesibrod also holds a 46.5 3PT%, which is the fourth-best in the GLIAC.  

Max Bjorklund has accrued 15 or more points in his last seven games, and 22 or more in his past three. In that span, he's averaged 34.4 minutes per game and 21.4 PPG. Max Weisbrod has 30 assists in his last four games, averaging 7.5 APG to go along with his 14.0 PPG. 


Coach Majkrzak Interview



Scouting Michigan Tech
The Huskies currently sit eighth in the GLIAC. The Huskies average 68.1 PPG while allowing opponents 73.9 PPG. The Huskies aren't afraid of the deep ball, as they average 9.3 3PT/game and 25.9 3PT attempts per game, both second most in the GLIAC. While 1-12 on the road, the Huskies are 7-5 on home court.

The Huskies also have young talent leading the way, as freshmen Dan Gherezgher and Marcus Tomashek both average 11.3 PPG, while Adam Hobson is third with 10.8. 


Previous Matchup vs. Michigan Tech
The 'Cats last faced the Huskies on January 14, 2023, at the Berry Events Center. Dylan Kuehl had a 19-point, 17-rebound double-double, and Max Bjorklund led the attack with 22 points to help NMU win its eighth straight game at the time, knocking off Michigan Tech with a 90-65 victory.  

Dylan Kuehl went 8-10 from the floor for a very efficient 19 points. He attacked the glass early and often, cleaning up 17 rebounds for a season-high mark for any Wildcat. For Max Bjorklund, he got to the FT line early and often and capitalized, going 11-14. Max Weisbrod added 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Sam Schultz came off the bench for 10 points. 

As a unit, the Wildcats shot 32-60 (53.3%) from the floor while MTU was 22-54 (40.7%). Each team knocked in seven triples, with Northern taking 18 attempts and the Huskies shooting 21. NMU dominated in the assist column, 17-5. The 'Cats also commanded the paint, outscoring MTU 50-22 down low.