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Scoring balanced, just not enough for Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team to get win at Saginaw Valley State

Dolapo Olayinka

UNIVERSITY CENTER — Northern Michigan University featured balanced scoring, but there just wasn’t enough of it as the Wildcat men’s basketball team lost 83-73 at Saginaw Valley State on Friday evening.

NMU (1-2) got 15 points apiece from Dolapo Olayinka, Justin Kuehl and Sam Schultz, while teammate Ben Wolf added 14.

But SVSU’s countered with four players of its own scoring in double figures, led by Myles Belyeu with 19, Delano Smith 18 and Malik Ellison 17.

And the Cardinals (1-2) held a decisive edge in two statistical categories — Saginaw outrebounded Northern 39-26 while making 23 of 25 free throws (92 percent) to just 12 of 22 (55 percent) for the Wildcats.

Olayinka led NMU rebounders with just four while also leading the team with three assists and sharing the blocked shots top number with Wolf as each had two.

Northern led for almost all the first four minutes before SVSU took its first lead — one it wouldn’t relinquish — at 12-9 on a Smith 3-pointer with 15:26 left in the first half.

The home team kept the Wildcats at arm’s length for another eight minutes when NMU pulled within 27-26 on a Schultz layup with 7:24 left in the first half.

Northern never got closer than three points the rest of the half, trailing 40-36 at the break.

The Cards scored the first five points of the second half, upping their lead to 45-36, and increased the margin to as many as 19 points at 66-47 with 9:18 left on an Ellison free throw.

The Wildcats then began a comeback that whittled the deficit to single digits at 68-60 with 6:28 to go on a Kuehl triple.

NMU got as close as four points, 71-67, with 4:37 left on a Kuehl layup but could get no closer.

The teams complete their two-game series back in University Center at 3 p.m. today. The game is scheduled to be broadcast on radio station WUPZ 94.9 FM.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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