Players on the Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team huddle up during a timeout in a game played earlier this season at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team will make another run for the top of the GLIAC with their second-to-last home weekend of the season starting this afternoon.

The Wildcats host Saginaw Valley State at 5:30 p.m. today before taking on Wayne State at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Berry Events Center.

NMU (15-6, 7-4 GLIAC) lost both its games on the road last week at Lake Superior State and Ferris State.

The Wildcats fell 65-61 at Lake State on Thursday as Dylan Kuehl and Najashi Tolefree both fouled out, Kuehl’s exit coming with seven minutes left.

GLIAC leading scorer Max Bjorklund topped NMU scorers, but he had barely half his average with 11 points. Jackson Dudek added 10 points and five rebounds, while Max Weisbrod had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Two days later, the Wildcats gave up a big second-half lead before being taken to overtime, where Ferris prevailed 106-93 with a big OT run.

NMU led by as many as 15 points as Bjorklund scored 29 to go with eight rebounds and seven assists. Weisbrod added 21 points as the Maxes totaled 50 points. Weisbrod also had eight rebounds and six assists, while Kuehl had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

After leading the GLIAC for much of January, Northern is now tied for third with Lake Superior State, both teams’ 7-4 record just a game behind coleaders Ferris State and Wisconsin-Parkside at 8-3.

SVSU is a half-game out of third at 6-4, while Wayne State is seventh at 4-6.

NMU averages 82.9 points per game, second to Ferris in the league, and is seventh in scoring defense at 73.0 ppg.

Despite their youth, the Wildcats are No. 1 in the league in turnovers at 10.2 per game. It also ranks them ninth in NCAA Division II. And Northern averages 6.5 more rebounds per game than their opponents.

While Bjorklund’s scoring average has changed little recently at 20.6 ppg, Davenport’s Marcedus Leech Jr. is closing in on him at 20.3 ppg. No other player is within two points of Bjorklund.

Kuehl, a freshman, is at 13.6 ppg and leads the team at 6.2 rebounds a contest. And his 61.3% shooting from the floor not only leads NMU, but the entire GLIAC and is No. 15 in the country.

Weisbrod averages 11.1 ppg and leads Northern at 4.9 assists per outing.

The Wildcats are ranked sixth in the latest D2SIDA Midwest regional poll.

SVSU has won its last two games, but is only 3-4 on the road this season, averaging 72.3 ppg and leading the GLIAC in steals at 7.8 per game.

Tre Garrett at 14.8 ppg and Freddie McIntosh at 14.6 ppg are a 1-2 backcourt scoring punch for the Cardinals, while Garrett also leads his team in rebounding at 6.3 per contest.

Against SVSU on Jan. 7 at University Center, NMU won 71-68 despite Bjorklund and Brian Parzych out of the lineup. Kuehl led four freshmen and sophomores scoring in double figures for the Wildcats, getting 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Sam Privet added 15 points as Weisbrod and Carson Smith also reached double figures.

Wayne State is 7-10 overall, having lost three straight, and average 67.8 ppg and give up 67.1 ppg, the defensive number lowest in the league.

Antonio Marshall leads WSU at 15.2 ppg.

On Jan. 5, NMU pulled out a 64-62 overtime win in Detroit over the Warriors. Weisbrod had a career-high 26 points.

Fans can follow this team @NMUMensBBALL and @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter for continuous updates, while a visit to the NMU athletics website, nmuwildcats.com, under the men’s basketball schedule gives links for audio, video, live statistics, ticket information, game previews and the game program.

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