Northern Michigan University’s Max Weisbrod, right, dribbles around a Lake Superior State defender during their GLIAC game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Thursday evening. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team really couldn’t upstage the show their Wildcat women counterparts put on before them.

But the guys sure tried.

Just a few hours after Makaylee Kuhn set the NMU women’s career scoring record, the Northern men went down to the final buzzer before pulling out a 72-71 victory over Lake Superior State at the Berry Events Center on Thursday evening.

Sophomore guard Max Weisbrod took an inbounds pass with 2 seconds remaining and dribbled to just left of the top of the key, banking home a long 2-point shot as the red game-ending light around the backboard flashed while the ball was still in the air.

Weisbrod finished with a game-high 25 points, making 9 of 14 shots from the field, including 6 of 9 from the 3-point line.

The Wildcats, who won their eighth straight to improve to 12-5 overall and 5-0 in the GLIAC, needed every one of his points, particularly down the stretch when NMU was down double digits, 64-54, with 6 1/2 minutes to go and still trailed 70-62 with 1:59 left following the Lakers’ Andy Soma making one of two free throws.

Weisbrod sank a pair of 3s, one right after that and another following a Dylan Kuehl layup, to miraculously erase the deficit and tie it 70-70 with 34 seconds to go.

LSSU (9-5, 1-3 GLIAC) then ran down the clock, but couldn’t quite run it out because of the shot clock, and took a shot with 5 seconds left, according to a game account from NMU Sports Information. The Lakers’ Hunter Soper went for the offensive rebound and was fouled by Weisbrod with 3 seconds remaining, and Soper hit one of two free throws to give Lake State a 71-70 advantage.

After Northern used just one second to advance the ball to midcourt, the Wildcats called timeout and head coach Matt Majkrzak drew up the game-winning play that Weisbrod executed with his special shot, NMU SI said.

Kuehl added 22 points to the winning total, making three triples and 3 of 4 free throws while dishing out four assists and sharing team-high rebounding honors with five.

Teammate Carson Smith had seven points, while Sam Schultz added five points and also had five rebounds and five assists.

While Northern was badly outrebounded, 33-21, which included not a single offensive rebound, Weisbrod led the Wildcats’ eagle-eyed 3-point shooting as they made 46% (11 of 24) to just 27% (6 of 22) for the Lakers.

NMU fell behind 10-4 in the game’s first five minutes, but caught up in 45 seconds after Weisbrod and Kuehl each sank a trey to tie it 10-10.

For the rest of the first half, the teams traded the lead with neither getting more than a four-point advantage and LSSU ahead 35-32 at intermission.

The second half was a different story as Lake State jumped out quickly and led the rest of the way until Weisbrod tied it with 34 seconds to go.

LSSU’s lead yo-yoed from 10 points, 42-32, back to just one point three times before the Lakers strung it back out to 10 again in the final seven minutes.

The Wildcats’ task doesn’t get any easier at 3 p.m. Saturday when they host No. 12 Ferris State. The Bulldogs are one of three teams at 3-1 and tied for second in the GLIAC behind Northern, the league’s only undefeated squad in league play.

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