TWO UP, TWO DOWN: NMU Wins Hoops Openers

These stories were written by NMU Sports Information.

Click the AUDIO buttons to hear RRN's post-game interviews with Coach Matt Majkrzak from both games. (NMU Photo)

SATURDAY'S GAME RECAP

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. - The Northern Michigan men's basketball team has started its season 2-0 after a 77-63 victory over the Missouri-St. Louis Tritons on Saturday at the Midwest Region Tip-Off Tournament.

For the second consecutive game in back-to-back nights, all ten 'Cats that played scored with no one scoring more than 15. All ten also added at least one assist. Julien Smith led the way with 15 points, Brian Parzych added 13, and Biggie Luster also found double figures with 11. The three guards combined to shoot 13-20 (65.0%) with Luster a perfect 5-5.

Sam Privet, Gerald Gittens, and Brandon Trilli each added eight. Dylan Kuehl led the way on the glass with 11 boards to help lead a 33-28 advantage on the glass.

NMU found themselves with a slow start, missing its first four shots and trailing 9-2 in the first five minutes with five turnovers. That's when the bench unit provided a much needed boost. Two buckets from Michael McNabb were followed by back-to-back triples from Trilli to pull within one possession, 15-12, at 11:03.

Following Trilli's second three, Gerald Gittens went on a personal 7-0 run, and a 10-0 NMU run, to get the Wildcats in front 19-15 at 7:46 of the first half.

The bench would continue to help out, scoring seven of the next 13 with Parzych contributing a pair of triples as the opening half was winding down. NMU led by as many as eight at 25-17, but UMSL hung around to keep it a one score game until Privet beat the halftime horn for a 36-32 lead after 20 minutes. NMU was 6-9 (66.7%) from three in the half.

The Tritons hit 3/3 free throws out of halftime, but that would be the last the game would be within one possession as NMU scored eight straight to lead 44-35 at the 17:21 mark. A Smith triple at 15:37 pushed the lead to double-digits for the first time, 48-37.

With the halfway point of the second half approaching, Jackson Dudek hit a three followed by three straight buckets from Luster to lead by a dozen, 57-45, with 11:53 to play.

With nine minutes left, Privet scored back-to-back hoops, and then Parzych and Smith scored the next 11 with seven of those at the charity stripe to maintain a comfortable lead, 76-59, with 2:57 left. Outside of one free throw from each team, an UMSL three in the closing seconds was the only scoring in the final minutes of play.

Northern shot 28-58 (48.3%) while UMSL was 25-56 (44.6%). Each team attempted 18 triples, with the Wildcats converting on nine (50.0%) and the Tritons five (27.8%).

In its second season playing at the Justagame Fieldhouse in the Dells, the Wildcats are now 3-1 in its "home away from home."

FRIDAY'S GAME RECAP

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. - The Northern Michigan men's basketball team defeated Maryville 78-59 in its season opener in which all ten Wildcats scored while the team also held a dominant 47-26 advantage on the glass.

The Wildcats used a key 14-0 run to end the first half and open the second to stretch a one-point lead to 15 and they did not look back from there, leading by as many as 21.

Brian Parzych led the way with 15 points while Dylan Kuehl (14) and Julien Smith (10) also found double figures. Sam Privet added another eight while pacing the dominance on the glass with 11 rebounds. Biggie Luster's four steals helped lead a 13-6 edge in the category as well.

The Wildcats trailed 10-8 early on when the reserves entered the game and went on an 11-4 run including two buckets from both Derek Merwick and Michael McNabb. The Tritons briefly regained the lead at 27-25, but NMU closed the half with the last seven to lead 38-30 at the break.

Offensive rebounds played a big part in NMU's first half success, as they pulled down 12 to Maryville's one.

The Green and Gold continued its run to open the second, scoring the first seven to lead 45-30. NMU scored 18 of the first 23 points in the second half, and totaled a 25-5 run dating back to the first, to lead 56-35 with less than a dozen minutes to go.

Maryville would hang around, but the 'Cats scored 16 points in the final five minutes, all from Parzych, Kuehl, and Smith as they all reached double figures late. Parzych hit a pair of threes, Smith added another triple, and Kuehl added the cherry on top with a flashy one-handed putback slam to cap off the scoring.

Northern shot 28-65 (43.1%) from the floor while the Tritons were 26-56 (46.4%). Maryville's Keyyaun Batchman led all scorers with 18 points.