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Thursday April 18, 2024
NOT THIS TIME: Wildcats Battle But Fall In Illinois

ROMEOVILLE, Ill.---The Northern Michigan University men's basketball team came oh, so close to knocking off two NCAA Tournament teams in one weekend.

But the Wildcats will have to settle for a 1-1 weekend after Lewis University rallied for a 87-83 win on Sunday in Romeoville, Illinois.

Northern had the lead for most of the game, but a big spurt by the Flyers midway through the second half proved to be the difference.

Freshman Will Carius had a huge night from start to finish, scoring 29 points and adding 13 rebounds.

Fellow freshman Marcus Matelski had 16 points, including four three-point baskets that stopped several Lewis runs throughout the course of the game.

NMU sophomore Naba Echols added 20 points, but on 6-fo-16 shooting from the floor.

Northern jumped to an 18-9 lead, and the 'Cats still had that nine-point margin at halftime, 37-28. The Flyers were unable to get their top scorer, Delaney Blaylock, going, but several other players stepped up during a 13-2 run in the seco0d half.

That run gave Lewis its first lead of the evening, 59-58, with 9:32 left in the game. Northern briefly rallied to take a 65-61 lead, but Nick Norton keyed another run that gave Lewis a 74-67 lead doing down the stretch. Norton had 18 p0ints to lead Lewis in scoring, while Miles Simelton added 17 and Blaylock chipped in 14 points.

In the final three minutes, the Wildcats took a couple of tough foul (and non-foul) calls, and committed a couple of turnovers as the team's inexperience showed. They were able to score enough to upset Wisconsin-Parkside Saturday night, but not enough this time.

NMU did make the ending interesting, however. Trailing by nine points in the final minute, Echols, Carius, and Isaiah Johnson all nailed three-pointers from well behind the line to bring the Wildcats to within 85-83 with eight seconds left in the game. But Simelton iced the game with a pair fo free throws with three seconds to play.

Northern Michigan made 16 three-point baskets on the afternoon, did well again at the free throw line (11 of 14) and outrebounded another opponent (41-37).

But Lewis, which won 25 games last year and made the NCAA Tournament, did just enough right at key times to pull out the victory.

In the first game of the day on Sunday, Michigan Tech led, 38-28, at halftime, but Wisconsin-Parkside opened the second half on a 21-2 run and beat Tech, 73-66.

Northern Michigan (1-1) will play two home games next weekend, on Friday against Minnesota State-Moorhead at 8:00, and against Southwest Missouri State on Saturday at 3:00. Friday's game will be broadcast live on WUPZ-FM (94.9 The Bay), and Saturday's contest will be broadcast on WUPT-FM (100.3 The Point).

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos from the game, and to listen to an interview with Miles Howard.









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Carius, Branstrom Come Through As Wildcats Win
Tuesday November 22, 2016
YOUNG GUNS WIN: Wildcats Stun Wisc.-Parkside
Saturday November 12, 2016