Michigan Tech forward Dawson Nordgaard extends to attempt a layup during a game against Northern Michigan Thursday at Vandament Arena in Marquette. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University)

MARQUETTE — The No. 13-ranked Michigan Tech Huskies men’s basketball team saw its four-game winning streak snapped Thursday night in a 70-64 loss to their rivals, No. 22 Northern Michigan, at Vandament Arena.

The Huskies (22-5, 13-4 GLIAC) were led by 18 points from redshirt senior forward Dawson Nordgaard and 15 by senior guard Marcus Tomashek. Senior guard Nate Abel led the squad with eight rebounds as senior guard Josh Terrian had a team-best three assists.

“Holding them to 70 points in this gym is a pretty good defensive effort, and we still had a couple of mistakes,” Huskies coach Josh Buettner said. “For big stretches of that game, I thought we were getting cleaner looks than them, and we just couldn’t make them. It’s tough when you’re down the whole game and that’s basketball.”

Northern Michigan (22-5, 13-4 GLIAC) earned the series split with a convincing first half, shooting 48.1% from the field, while splashing 5-of-10 3-pointers to head into halftime ahead 32-24.

The Wildcats led by as many as 11 in the first half with a layup by Dylan Kuehl as part of his 10 first-half points, before finishing with a game-best 23 points, converting in 2-of-3 3-pointers to go with four assists.

Nordgaard had six points through 20 minutes to lead the Huskies.

The Huskies narrowly outscored the home team in the second half (40-38) and cut the lead to four points with a second-chance bucket by Tomashek, then again with 14:55 to play off a fastbreak layup by sophomore guard Gabe Smith, although Michigan Tech got no closer.

Sam Privet, who had two 3-pointers in the first half to tie his season-high, had an emphatic dunk with 7:39 to play, seeing the Wildcats’ largest lead of the day (58-43).

Michigan Tech fought til the end, using a 15-7 run to cut the game to five points following free-throws by Nordgaard with 2:40 to play, but a layup by Kuehl on the following possession ultimately decided the game, as the Huskies put Charlie Miller and Privet on the foul line, where they went 4-for-4. Abel followed with a 3-pointer concluding the scoring at 70-64.

Kuehl’s double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds led the team as Privet joined Kuehl in double-figures with 16 points.

Scouting the Bulldogs

The Ferris State Bulldogs are 10-13 overall and 7-9 in GLIAC play after a loss to Lake Superior State Monday. The Huskies beat them 81-72 back on Saturday, Jan. 10.

They are led offensively by sophomore forward Tae Boyd, who averages 13.6 points per game. Senior forward Mykel Bingham averages 13.1 points per game. Senior guard Tyler Hamilton was off to a great start, averaging just under 13 at 12.9 points per game, before an injury ended his season.

Senior forward Donovan Boyd-Brown, who is also injured, averaged 12.3 points per game prior to getting hurt. Junior guard rounds out the Bulldogs’ top scorers, averaging 11.9 points per game.

Up next

The Huskies wrap four-straight road games on Monday with a road trip to Big Rapids, facing Ferris State at 7:30 p.m. before returning to the SDC Gym on Thursday and Saturday for the final two regular season games against Wisconsin-Parkside and Roosevelt.