The Wayne State University men’s basketball team saw its three-game winning streak end with an 82-62 loss to Northern Michigan, ranked 17th nationally, on Thursday at the WSU Fieldhouse in Detroit. The Warriors, now 11-10 overall and 8-7 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), could not overcome a strong performance from the Wildcats, who improved to 21-4 overall and 12-3 in conference play.
The first half was competitive early, with six ties and nine lead changes through the opening minutes. Northern Michigan then went on an 11-2 run to take a nine-point lead. Wayne State responded with a brief surge but could not get closer than five points. The Wildcats finished the half strongly, outscoring the Warriors by 17 over the final stretch to lead by 22 at halftime.
Northern Michigan shot over 53 percent from the field in the first half compared to Wayne State’s nearly 46 percent. The Wildcats also had an advantage from beyond the arc and at the free throw line, while committing only two turnovers and leading second-chance points by a significant margin.
Wayne State started the second half with a 12-2 run, narrowing the deficit to 12 points. However, they were unable to get within single digits for the rest of the game. The Wildcats extended their lead to as many as 20 points before closing out the win.
Carlos Paul III led Wayne State with 17 points and four rebounds. Jordan Briggs added 12 points, while Jalen Jenkins contributed five assists. Defensively, several players recorded steals and blocks.
For Northern Michigan, Dylan Kuehl scored a team-high 19 points, followed by Cal Klesmit with 17 and Jackson Dudek with 13. Trevor Polite led all players with eight rebounds.
Wayne State will continue its homestand against another ranked opponent when it faces No. 13 Michigan Tech on Saturday at WSU Fieldhouse.
The Wayne State Warriors Men’s Basketball program is part of Wayne State University athletics and competes in NCAA Division II within the GLIAC. The program maintains records of top players and achievements such as GLIAC Player of the Year honors and NCAA Regional All-Tournament selections. It serves as a key athletic initiative for Detroit’s major urban public university community.
