MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan men's basketball team defeated Purdue Northwest 71-63 in the GLIAC Quarterfinals and will now play host to the remainder of the GLIAC Tournament this weekend. 

The top-seeded Wildcats (22-9) will host No. 4 Grand Valley State (15-14) on Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m. from the Berry Events Center. The second semifinal will see No. 3 Ferris State (23-7) play No. 7 Wayne State (14-14). 

Tickets for the two semifinal games can be purchases HERE.


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Saturday, March 9 - vs. No. 4 Grand Valley State at 1 p.m.
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Last Time Out
NMU pulled off a 71-63 victory in the GLIAC Quarterfinals over Purdue Northwest on Wednesday. Dylan Kuehl was phenomenal, leading all scorers with 27 points on an extremely efficient 13-17 (76.5%). He scored 10 in the first and followed it up with 17 in the second half when Northern needed it most. Brian Parzych was the other Wildcat in double figures with 15.

It was looking good for the Green and Gold out of the gate as they jumped out to an early 18-5 lead, but the Pride answered with a 15-2 run to tie the game at 20's. The Pride didn't settle for a tie and grabbed the lead before halftime, leading the No. 1 Wildcats 34-30 at the break. 

Northern got right back into it once the second half started, connecting on its first seven shots. A Kuehl layup with a dozen minutes left tied the game at 49-49 and NMU would not trail the rest of the night. NMU would slowly increase the gap until the final horn, scoring four or five to every two or three from the Pride. 

The Green and Gold shot 30-53 (56.6%) on the night while the Pride were 23-49 (46.9%). The Wildcats doubled up PNW 16-8 in assists and dominated points in the paint, 52-34. 


Cat Nips

• The Wildcats are ranked No. 4 in the latest Midwest Regional poll behind UIndy, Kentucky Wesleyan, and Lake Superior State. Both Kentucky Wesleyan and Lake Superior State lost in their conference tournament Quarterfinals. 
• The Berry has been one of the toughest environments for road teams in all of Division II. Since February of 2022, the Wildcats are 25-2 (.926) on the hardwood in the BEC. Both losses came at the hands of Grand Valley. 
• For a program that has been around for well over 100 years (since 1906), the Wildcats tied the longest winning streak in program history earlier this season at 13 games, set in 1984-85.
• All five starters have had multiple games leading the team in scoring: Kuehl (12), Weisbrod (11), Smith (5), Parzych (3), Schultz (2). 
• Sam Schultz leads the GLIAC at 9.5 rebounds/game, which is good for 17th in the country. He also leads the conference in all offensive and defensive rebounding categories. 
• Over his last 12 games Max Weisbrod has been one of the best players in the country, averaging 20.7 points/game while shooting an efficient 36-82 (43.9%) from beyond the arc. On the season, he now sits fifth in the GLIAC in scoring (16.8), second in assists/game (4.4), and third in three-pointers made (75-191, 39.3%). In conference play, his 19.1 ppg and 48 triples are third. 
• Carson Smith has scored in double figures in seven of the past eight, averaging 15.4 points/game.
• The 1.69 assist/turnover ratio for the 'Cats is the fifth best mark in the country. Northern is also averaging 4.7 more rebounds a contest than its opponents, good for 37th in the nation and second in the GLIAC to Ferris State (5.9). NMU is only allowing 7.6 offensive rpg, also the best mark among conference teams. 
• The Wildcats average 80.1 ppg while allowing 72.5 ppg. The 80.1 points per game is second in the GLIAC. 
• The 'Cats are near the top of the conference in both creating assists on offense and preventing assists on defense, as its 15.7/game is the third most while the 10.2/game they allow is the fewest.  
• The Wildcats are 86-54 (.614) under 5th year head coach Matt Majkrzak. With 25 victories at Bryant and Stratton before he got to NMU, Majkrzak hit the 100 collegiate wins milestone in NMU's victory at Grand Valley earlier this season. 

Notes on Grand Valley State
The Lakers knocked off Michigan Tech 79-76 in the 4/5 quarterfinal matchup. Mason Docks scored 21 points while Ethan Alderick and Marius Grazulis each added 16. 

The Lakers enter the semifinal matchup winning five straight. GVSU is 4-10 away from home, but did defeat the Wildcats not long ago at the Berry, 106-99 in 2OT. In that game, Britain Harris scored 24, Grazulis added 22 and Trevor Smith and William Dunn each chipped in 15 off the bench. Northern was led by Weisbrod with 27. Earlier this season in Allendale, the 'Cats edged the Lakers 63-61. 

GVSU attacks the offensive glass better than anyone in the GLIAC at 11.8/game. Grazulis is second in the conference averaging 7.6 total rebounds/game, with 3.5 coming on the offensive end. 


GLIAC Tournament
Wednesday, March 6 | Quarterfinals
Campus sites, higher seed is host

Game 1    No. 1 Northern Michigan defeats No. 8 Purdue Northwest, 71-63   
Game 2    No. 4 Grand Valley State defeats No. 5 Michigan Tech, 79-76   
Game 3    No. 3 Ferris State defeats No. 6 Parkside, 84-82  
Game 4    No. 7 Wayne State defeats No. 2 Lake Superior State, 87-78   

Saturday, March 9 | Semifinals
Hosted by Northern Michigan

Game 5    No. 1 Northern Michigan vs. No. 4 Grand Valley State, 1 p.m.   
Game 6    No. 3 Ferris State vs. No. 7 Wayne State, 3:30 p.m.     

Sunday, March 10 | Championship 
Hosted by Northern Michigan

Game 7    Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 2 p.m.