Kuehl Crosses 1,000-Point Mark As NMU Gets Win

This story was written by NMU Sports Information. Click the VIDEO buttons to see two highlights with RRN's Casey Ford. Also click the AUDIO button to hear Ford's post-game interview with Coach Matt Majkerzak.

MARQUETTE, Mich. - Northern Michigan redshirt junior Dylan Kuehl surpassed the 1,000 career-points plateau and scored a season-high 26 points as the Wildcats defeated the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons 70-58 on Saturday afternoon in the men's basketball debut at Vandament Arena.

With a baseline jumper in the opening possession of the second half, Kuehl became the 35th player in Northern Michigan history to join the exclusive 1K club, and the first since Max Bjorklund (2/17/22). His game-high 26 points came on an efficient 8-11 (72.7%) mark from the field and a 9-10 (90.0%) performance at the charity stripe. Kuehl also paced all players with two blocks while adding four rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Sam Privet was the only other Wildcat to find double figures, notching 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. He went 2-2 from the floor while getting most of his work at the free throw line, going 7-8.

It didn't come easy for the Green and Gold, battling a pesty Falcons squad that seemingly wouldn't go away and held the lead for over four minutes in the game.

The game started slow. Concordia hit the game's first field goal at 16:26 and NMU's first bucket didn't come until over five minutes had passed. Fouls and turnovers plagued the flow to the first half, with the Wildcats holding a slim 29-28 edge at the break.

The Falcons knocked down back-to-back threes early in the second half to hold its largest lead of the day at 34-31, but NMU answered with an 11-2 run to go up 44-38 with 13:32 to play. The Falcons had one more run in them, scoring 15 of the next 22 to once again have the 'Cats in a 53-51 deficit, but that'd be the last time CUW would have the lead.

Facing that two-point deficit as the clock approached seven minutes to play, Northern locked in on each end of the floor, rattling off 19 of the final 24 points, including a stretch of a dozen straight, to pull away as the clock approached triple zeroes. Defensively, the Wildcats held the Falcons to just 2-9 from the floor with six turnovers in those final seven minutes.

NMU shot 10-20 in the first half and 11-22 in the second half for an even 50.0% shooting performance. The Falcons shot 23-51 (45.1%) for the game, but stayed in it with a 6-11 (54.5%) clip from beyond the arc in the second half.

Of the 37 free throws attempted in the game, NMU was at the line for 32 of them, converting on 24. Northern had all of the free throw attempts in the second half, getting the job done down the stretch at 17-20 (85.0%).

The 'Cats held a 31-23 edge on the glass, scored 32 points in the paint to CUW's 22, and held a 21-12 advantage in second chance points.