Northern Michigan University’s Isaiah Allen, left, gets off a hook shot while double teamed during a GLIAC men’s basketball game played against Wayne State at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The men’s basketball team at Northern Michigan University used a big run in the middle of the first half to take control and run off with an 83-62 win over Wayne State at Vandament Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats held onto their share of the top spot in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, tied with Michigan Tech as the Upper Peninsula rivals each have 18-2 overall and 9-1 conference records.

Grand Valley State is their only chaser within three games of them as the Lakers are 8-2 in the GLIAC.

NMU spotted Wayne State a 5-0 lead in the game’s first two minutes, but answered with a 19-2 run over the next nine minutes to take control with a 19-7 advantage. The run was capped off by Jackson Dudek hitting a jumper with 9:14 remaining in the first half.

Northern continued to keep a double-digit lead for the rest of the first half, including 42-23 at intermission, then expanded it to 20 points, 45-23, just 20 seconds into the second half on a Bennett Basich 3-pointer.

The lead remained at at least 20 points until the Warriors got it down to 71-53 with 4:16 left on a Cooper Craggs triple.

But it was back to 20 just 23 seconds later on a Basich layup and stayed that way until the end.

Dudek led all scorers with 21 points as he hit three 3s and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

Basich added 15 points with a triple, five rebounds and three assists, while regular top scorer Dylan Kuehl pumped in 12 points, also with a 3, to go with seven rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots.

Cal Klesmit only had four points, but dished out a game-high six assists.

Jordan Briggs paced Wayne State with 16 points.

Third-place Grand Valley is next on NMU’s itinerary with a trip to Allendale at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, while fifth-place Davenport is up in Grand Rapids at 3 p.m. Saturday.

NMU 83, Wayne St. 61

Saturday at Vandament Arena

Summary (field goals, free throws, total points)

WAYNE STATE — Briggs 6-2-16, Belle 3-4-10, Paul 4-1-9, Boose 3-2-8, Craggs 3-0-8, Ayrault 2-1-7, Tamakloe 1-0-2, Jenkins 1-0-2. Totals 23-10-62.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Dudek 7-4-21, Basich 5-4-15, Kuehl 4-3-12, Miller 3-0-9, Klesmit 1-2-4, Hinson 3-0-8, Privet 2-1-5, Allen 2-0-4, Bellisle 1-0-3, Polite 1-0-2. Totals 29-14-83.

Halftime score: NMU 42-23

FG shooting: Wayne State 23 of 52 (44.2 percent), NMU 29 of 61 (47.5 percent); 3-point shooting: Wayne State 6 of 18 (33.3 percent), NMU 11 of 24 (45.8 percent); FT shooting: Wayne State 10 of 19 (52.6 percent), NMU 14 of 19 (73.7 percent); Rebounding, Wayne State 29 (4 players with 4 each), NMU 41 (Jackson Dudek 8); Assists, Wayne State 9 (3 players with 2 each), NMU 20 (Cal Klesmit 6); Steals, Wayne State 5 (Jalen Jenkins 2), NMU 2 (Klesmit and Brooks Hinson 1 each); Turnovers, Wayne State 7, NMU 6.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.