The Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team dropped its second Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game of the weekend on Saturday (Feb. 16) to Wayne State University. The Warriors defeated NMU, 66-46 from Detroit, Mich.
The Wildcats fall to 5-18 overall and 4-15 in the GLIAC. The Warriors are now 15-6 overall and 14-4 in conference play.
WSU jumped out to the lead from the opening seconds of play, and were up 4-0 before NMU was able to get on the board. The Warriors led the entire game, except for with 14:20 remaining in the first half. A shot from beyond the arc by junior forward Scooter Johnson put NMU in the lead by one (9-8).
Two minutes later, a jumper by WSU’s Bryan Coleman gave the Warriors its lead back. WSU closed out the half by going on an 18-4 run to take the 28-13 halftime advantage.
WSU continued its momentum in the second half, going up by as many as 23 points. The closest the Wildcats were able to get to the Warriors was 13 in the first five minutes of the second half.
Johnson led the scoring for NMU with 14 points on five field goals, one three-pointer and was 1-for-1 from the free throw line. Freshman guard Stephen Pelkofer (12) and sophomore forward Kendall Jackson (11) also entered the scoring column in double figures. Jackson led the rebounds for the Wildcats with seven.
NMU shot 38.6 percent (14-for-44) from the floor and 71.4 percent (5-for-7) from the free throw line. The Wildcats outrebounded WSU 29-27.
For the Warriors, Ian Larkin and Chene Phillips led with 16 points apiece. Gerald Williams-Taylor added 11 and Coleman with 10. Larkin pulled down seven rebounds on the afternoon.
WSU finished the game shooting 48.1 percent (26-for-54) from the floor and 78.6 percent (11-for-14) from the charity stripe.
The Wildcats play their final home games of the season next weekend against Lake Superior State University on Thursday (Feb. 21) and Northwood University on Saturday (Feb. 23).
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