MARQUETTE, Mich. - Winners of nine straight, the Northern Michigan men's basketball team (13-5, 6-0) continues Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play this week, as they've hit the road to face Purdue Northwest (8-7, 2-3) on Thursday, January 18 at 8 p.m. ET. The Cats' will then travel to Wisconsin to battle the Rangers of Parkside (8-7, 3-2) on Saturday, January 20 at 4 p.m. ET.

After a 6-0 start in GLIAC play with thrilling victories over Lake Superior State and Ferris State last week, the Green and Gold are nationally ranked No. 18 in the D2CSC poll and they'll look to continue to stay atop the conference standings and build upon its current nine-game winning streak. This will be the first meeting with the Pride and Rangers this season. 


Follow the Action
Follow @NMUMensBBALL and @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter for continuous updates throughout the week.
 
Thursday, January 18 - at Purdue Northwest at 8 p.m. ET
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Saturday, January 20 - at  Parkside at 4 p.m. ET
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A Word From Matt Majkrzak
"This is a tough weekend and a tough road trip. Purdue Northwest has a lot of talent and their defensive pressure has given us trouble in the past, and Parkside is the only gym we haven't won in. The key for us, is can we capitalize every time we get a little bit of good fortune." 

Listen to Matt's full weekly preview here (16:54 mark). 

Last Time Out
Northern secured two thrillers last week, with comeback wins over Lake Superior State and No. 12 Ferris State. Most recently against the Bulldogs on Saturday, NMU was down again late in the second half when they mounted another comeback scoring the final eight points to upset No. 12 Ferris State 75-71. After a buzzer beater to down LSSU, Max Weisbrod showcased the clutch gene once again. Weisbrod hit three free throws down the stretch and then the three-point dagger with 14 seconds left to go ahead by four and seal the game.


Cat Nips

• In the latest D2CSC national poll, the Wildcats have moved to No. 18 after receiving votes last week. With four of six first-place votes, Northern is also ranked first in the Midwest Regional Poll. 
• After one of the most exhilarating weekends in recent memory for Northern, Max Weisbrod was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week. Including two game-winners in the closing seconds, he scored a combined 14 points in the final two minutes between the two games, contributing to an average of 21.5 points/game on the weekend. 
• One of the most telling stats of a successful basketball team, NMU's 1.63 assist/turnover ratio is 6th across all of Division II. 
• Northern is averaging 81.2 ppg while allowing 71.4 ppg. The 81.2 points per game is second in the GLIAC. NMU is shooting 48.5% from the floor and 34.6% from downtown. The 'Cats are also averaging 5.9 more rebounds a contest than their opponents and only allowing 7.4 offensive rebounds/game, the best mark among conference teams. 
• The 'Cats are near the top of the conference in both creating assists on offense and preventing assists on defense, as their 16.9/game is the second most while the 9.7/game they allow is the second fewest. 
• NMU has had one of the stingiest defenses in the country during its nine-game winning streak, allowing just 61.4 ppg on just a 41.4% shooting clip. 
• The Green and Gold offense is led by Dylan Kuehl (17.4 ppg), who is second in the GLIAC in scoring. He is shooting an efficient 53.6% this season. 
• Three other Wildcats are averaging in double figures: Max Weisbrod (14.7), Carson Smith (12.3), and Sam Schultz (10.2). Northern is one of three conference teams to have four in double figures. 
• Sam Schultz leads the GLIAC at 10.1 rebounds/game, which is good for 11th in the country. Averaging 10.2 points/game, he is one of 14 in DII to be averaging a double-double.
• The Wildcats are 77-50 (.606) under 5th year head coach Matt Majkrzak. With 25 victories at Bryant and Stratton before he got to NMU, Majkrzak recently surpassed the 100 collegiate wins milestone in NMU's victory vs LSSU and FSU.

Notes on Purdue Northwest
The Pride enter Thursday's matchup at 8-7 overall and 2-3 in the GLIAC. They have lost four out of five games, but most recently beat Parkside 85-82 in a double OT thriller. PNW scores 79.8 ppg while allowing 74.4 ppg. The Pride shoot 45.0% from the floor and 33.8% from three. Rebounding has been the point of emphasis for the Pride as they lead the conference in total rebounds/game (40.1), and defensive rebounds/game (28.5). 

The offense is led by senior guard CJ Jackson averaging 15.5 ppg while shooting 45.8% from the field. Graduate Forward Brendan Temple is second in command averaging 13.3 ppg on an efficient 58.4% from the field and 47.4% from behind the arc. 

In two meetings last season, the Wildcats were victorious at home and on the road winning 84-78, and 85-77.  Max Weisbrod averaged 14.5 points/game for Northern. The Cats' have won the last four in the matchup. 


Notes on Parkside
The Rangers enter the weekend with an 8-7 overall and 3-2 within conference play. Parkside averages 70.5. ppg, which is the bottom mark in the conference, while only allowing 65.7 ppg, which is the best in the GLIAC. They shoot 45.0% from the floor, and 39.7% from beyond the three-point line, which is second in the GLIAC. The Rangers have been the best in the conference at maintaining possession, as they are first in GLIAC in fewest turnovers (10.1). The Rangers attack is led by Collin O'Rourke (13.4 ppg) and Josiah Palmer (13.1 ppg). 

In two meetings last season, the Wildcats defeated the Rangers at home 73-47, and lost on the road 76-68.