The Wildcats improved to 13-1 overall and 4-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Despite being the only league team with an undefeated record, NMU needed this win to keep hold of first place alone, as the Lakers slipped to 9-3 and 2-2.

The job won’t get any easier for Northern this week with a road trip to Houghton to face nationally ranked Michigan Tech at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Huskies suffered their first GLIAC loss to Grand Valley on Friday but are a game back at 3-1 in league contests, 12-2 overall.

On Saturday, a day after sinking a program-record 21 3-pointers, the Wildcats made a more modest nine.

Leading scorer Dylan Kuehl, however, hit 4 of 8 from that range and led all scorers with 25 points, adding in three rebounds and no turnovers in 34 minutes court time.

Northern Michigan University’s Cal Klesmit, left, sinks this 3-pointer during a GLIAC men’s basketball game played against Davenport at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Friday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Cal Klesmit hit a pair of triples and 9 of 10 free throws to tally up 21 points, also making five rebounds and two steals.

Bennett Basich came off the bench and scored 12 points, hitting 7 of 10 free throws and his only 3-point try, adding in six rebounds.

And recent prolific scorer Jackson Dudek only had four points, but grabbed a team-high seven rebounds while also blocking a shot.

Ethan Alderink paced the Lakers with 14 points.

With many of the nonshooting statistics being fairly even, NMU held the shooting advantage — from the floor, including on 3s, and at the free-throw line.

The Wildcats made 40% overall from the floor (21 of 52) to 35% for GVSU (19 of 55) as NMU also hit 39% on triples (9 of 23) to just 18% for the Lakers (4 of 22). And Northern added in 75% on free throws (21 of 28) to 64% for Grand Valley (18 of 28).

Of those nine treys, the Wildcats sank five of them in the game’s first 10 minutes to establish a 22-15 lead after Kuehl and Klesmit each hit a pair and Charlie Miller made one.

The Lakers made a couple runs later in the first half, tying the score 28-28 with 4:31 to go on an Antaune Allen jumper, then taking a brief 32-30 lead with 3:32 to go on an Allen free throw.

NMU made the first half’s final rush, scoring the last seven points before intermission to go back up 37-32 at halftime.

The Wildcats kept GVSU at arm’s length in the second half, getting their first double-digit lead after the break at 45-34 with 13:56 to go following a Kuehl layup.

The Lakers shaved their deficit to five points a couple times after that, the final time at 59-54 with 4:04 left after an Allen traditional three-point play with a basket and free throw.

But Northern ripped in the next seven points to re-establish a double-digit lead that wouldn’t fall below nine points again.

NMU 72, Grand Valley St.

Saturday at Vandament Arena

Summary (field goals, free throws, total points)

GRAND VALLEY STATE — Alderink 5-3-14, Thompson 3-3-9, Charity 0-4-4, Docks 0-1-1, Allen 5-2-13, Smith 3-5-11, Turner 2-0-6, Otten 1-0-2. Totals 19-18-60.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Kuehl 9-3-25, Klesmit 5-9-21, Dudek 1-2-4, Miller 1-0-3, Basich 2-7-12, Hinson 2-0-5, Privet 1-0-2. Totals 21-21-72.

Halftime score: NMU 37-32

FG shooting: Grand Valley 19 of 55 (34.5 percent), NMU 21 of 52 (40.4 percent); 3-point shooting: Grand Valley 4 of 22 (18.2 percent), NMU 9 of 23 (39.1 percent); FT shooting: Grand Valley 18 of 28 (64.3 percent), NMU 21 of 28 (75 percent); Rebounding, Grand Valley 38 (Shamus Thompson 12), NMU 36 (Jackson Dudek 7); Assists, Grand Valley 4 (4 players with 1 each), NMU 8 (Trevor Polite 2); Steals, Grand Valley 5 (5 players with 1 each), NMU 8 (3 players with 2 each); Turnovers, Grand Valley 11, NMU 9.

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.