The Wayne State University men’s basketball team lost to Northern Michigan University 82-62 on Thursday at the WSU Fieldhouse. The defeat ended Wayne State’s three-game winning streak and brought their record to 11-10 overall and 8-7 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Northern Michigan, ranked 17th nationally, improved to 21-4 overall and 12-3 in conference play.
The first half of the game was competitive, with six ties and nine lead changes in the opening minutes. Northern Michigan then went on an 11-2 run, building a nine-point lead. Wayne State narrowed the gap to five points following a brief scoring surge led by Carlos Paul III and Jalen Jenkins. However, Northern Michigan responded by outscoring Wayne State 18-1 for the remainder of the half, leading by 22 points at halftime.
Northern Michigan shot 53.1 percent from the field in the first half compared to Wayne State’s 45.8 percent. The Wildcats also had an advantage from three-point range and at the free throw line, while limiting turnovers and gaining a significant edge in second-chance points.
Wayne State started strong after halftime with a 12-2 run that reduced the deficit to 12 points. Scoring contributions came from Paul III, Marshall Thorn, and Jordan Briggs during this stretch. Despite these efforts, Wayne State was unable to get closer than an eleven-point margin for the rest of the game.
Wayne State finished with a shooting percentage of 46.3 percent but made fewer three-pointers and free throws than Northern Michigan. The Wildcats recorded only six turnovers against twenty assists and dominated rebounding with a sixteen-board advantage, including sixteen offensive rebounds that led to a substantial difference in second-chance scoring.
Carlos Paul III led Wayne State with seventeen points and four rebounds. Jordan Briggs added twelve points while Jalen Jenkins provided five assists. On defense, several players contributed steals and blocks.
For Northern Michigan, Dylan Kuehl scored nineteen points, Cal Klesmit had seventeen, and Jackson Dudek added thirteen. Trevor Polite collected eight rebounds while Klesmit dished out six assists.
Wayne State will continue its homestand against thirteenth-ranked Michigan Tech on Saturday at WSU Fieldhouse.
The Wayne State Warriors Men’s Basketball program is part of Wayne State University’s athletics department and competes in NCAA Division II as a member of the GLIAC. The program serves Detroit as a major urban public-university athletic initiative and maintains records documenting its history and achievements such as GLIAC Player of the Year honors.
