The Wildcats host Wisconsin-Parkside at 5:30 p.m. today and Purdue Northwest at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Berry Events Center. This marks Northern’s final two home games of the regular season.

In fact, NMU has just one more regular-season game after that, its return trip against their traditional Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech in Houghton on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Because the Wildcats are in the thick of the race at the top of the GLIAC, their fortunes will be determined by these final three games.

Currently tied with Lake Superior State for third place at 10-5, Northern (18-7 overall) could possibly win the league — or they could fall out of a top-four position that would ensure home court in the first-round quarterfinals of the upcoming GLIAC Tournament, which will be held at campus sites on March 1.

Northern Michigan University's Sam Schultz, right, tracks the ball as he tries to keep it inbounds in the first half of a GLIAC game played against Northwood at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 29, 2022. Trailing the play is the Timberwolves' Matthew Nowicki, left. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

The Wildcats are just a game and a half out of the top spot, which happens to be occupied by this afternoon’s opponent, Parkside. The Rangers are 11-3 in league games and 18-6 overall, while Ferris State is second at 11-4 and 20-6.

LSSU is an unimpressive 11-12 overall, but still has the same conference record as Northern, while fifth-place Grand Valley State — which would hit the road for the quarterfinals if the season had ended last weekend — is only a half-game behind the Wildcats and Lake State at 9-5.

Saturday’s game is against the seventh-place Pride (11-13, 4-10 GLIAC), who are tied with Wayne State for the final two tourney positions and only a half-game ahead of ninth-place Michigan Tech (4-11), which is currently on the outside looking in for the postseason.

Before the game against Purdue NW, Northern will honor seniors Max Bjorklund and Ben Wolf.

Both games will be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point. Fans can follow these Wildcats @NMUMensBBALL and @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter, or visit the NMU athletics website, nmuwildcats.com under the men’s basketball schedule for video, audio, live statistics, ticket information, a copy of the weekend program and a preview of the games.

Last week, Northern split on the road, beating Davenport 81-64 on Thursday before losing at Grand Valley State 81-75 on Saturday.

Against Davenport, Bjorklund led Northern scorers with 19 points, while freshman Max Weisbrod had a double-double with 14 points and 13 assists, the most assists by any league player in a GLIAC men’s game this season. Three other Wildcats also scored in double figures — Dylan Kuehl, Sam Privet and Sam Schultz.

Then at Grand Valley, this back-and-forth game included 21 lead changes and a majority of it with a one-possession score, according to an account from NMU Sports Information.

But the Lakers had the final spurt, using a 6-0 run down the stretch to break a 71-71 tie as Bjorklund again led Wildcats scorers with 23 points.

Northern is the No. 2 scoring team in the GLIAC at 81.6 points per game, trailing only Ferris’ 87.5 ppg but more than five points ahead of any other league team. The Wildcats have also risen to sixth in points allowed at 72.0, within two points above and below of five other conference squads.

Despite their youth, NMU has the lowest turnover rate in the league at 10.2 per game, which is also 11th best in NCAA Division II. And the Wildcats are a plus-6.1 on rebounds, with their offensive rebound defense of 7.3 per game No. 1 in the GLIAC.

Bjorklund, the GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year, lost his season-long scoring lead last week to Marcedes Leech Jr. of last-place Davenport. Bjorklund averages 20.3 ppg, close to where he’s been much of the season, but Leech has surged up to 20.7 ppg on a team where he is the main — maybe the only — offensive weapon.

Bjorklund has scored at least 15 points in five straight games, averaging 20.8 points and 34.2 minutes while making 44% from the field, 41% on 3-pointers and 74% on free throws.

Kuehl, a freshman, is second for NMU in scoring at 13.4 ppg and leads the team at 6.3 rebounds per contest, which is also third in the league. He also shoots at a 58.9% clip from the field, No. 1 in the league and second nationally among freshmen.

Weisbrod averages 11.5 ppg and leads the team in assists at 5.2 a game, also second in the conference and second nationally among freshmen.

Parkside moved atop a crowded GLIAC race by compiling a five-game win streak, including an impressive 20-point victory over second-place Ferris. The Rangers average 74.2 ppg while holding opponents to 67.7 ppg, best in the conference.

Rasheed Bello averages 18.8 ppg, which leads Parkside and is third in the GLIAC.

In their previous game vs. the Rangers on Dec. 3 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, NMU lost 76-68 after the Rangers made a late comeback. Carson Smith led Northern with 18 points, while Brian Parzych had 17.

Purdue NW has lost three straight entering its game at Michigan Tech tonight. The Pride average 76.5 ppg and give up 74.9 ppg. Alou Dillon leads the PNW at 17.1 ppg, with Mikell Cooper at 16.4 ppg.

In their Dec. 1 game when Northern won 85-77 in Hammond, Indiana, the Wildcats had a big 55-37 second-half scoring advantage as they made 6 of 10 on triples and 19 free throws in the big half.

Bjorklund scored 20 points, while had Kuehl 17 after making 9 of 10 free throws and grabbing eight rebounds.

In the latest D2SIDA Midwest Regional poll, the Wildcats are tied for fifth.

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