Story, photo courtesy of NMU Sports Information. Click the AUDIO button to hear Casey Ford's interviews with Keil Ganz abd Brooks Hinson.
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – The Keil Ganz era got off to a memorable start on Friday night, as Northern Michigan delivered a dominant team performance to open the season with an 82-62 victory over the Central Oklahoma Bronchos at the D2 CCA Midwest Tip-Off Challenge.
In his first game as head coach of the Wildcats, Ganz loved what he saw from his group, as Northern controlled the contest from the opening possession and never trailed. The Wildcats put together an explosive first half, building a lead as large as 36-10 before carrying a 44-25 advantage into the break.
"I am so proud of these guys," Ganz said after the win. "We were tough today. We were unselfish today. And it's so fun to win. Being able to get my first win here in the Dells where I coached a lot of games as an AAU coach is pretty cool."
Despite a 24-13 disadvantage in fouls, including being called for the first seven fouls of the second half, the Wildcats remained composed and continued to dictate the pace. Northern maintained its double-digit advantage throughout the second half, outscoring the Bronchos 38-37 over the final 20 minutes to secure the 20-point victory.
"We were nasty defensively, especially in the first half. Our attention to detail was really good, and I am proud of how they handled adversity in the second half."
NMU was efficient from the floor, shooting 56.6 percent (30-53) overall and an impressive 53.8 percent (14-26) from beyond the arc.
The Wildcats also controlled the glass, 31-24, and showcased their unselfish offensive approach with a commanding 20-5 advantage in assists
Five Wildcats finished in double figures, led by Brooks Hinson with 22 points on 6-9 shooting from three-point range. Kyle Olagbegi added 13 points and seven rebounds, while George Bellevue and Isaiah Allen each contributed 11 points. Pryce Gregoire rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
"My teammates were getting me good looks. I found myself open, and I was knocking them down," Hinson said.
