Northern Michigan University freshman Brian Parzych brings the ball to halfcourt during a Wildcats' exhibition game against Bay College played at the Berry Events Center on Oct. 28. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team will continue its five-game homestand when the Wildcats host Upper Peninsula rival Finlandia on Sunday afternoon.

Northern plays the Hancock-based team at 3:15 p.m. at the Berry Events Center following a three-week layoff after a Dec. 19 game against Indianapolis was canceled due to illness.

NMU has only played Finlandia in three regular-season games in the past decade, the most recent time in November 2014. Northern has won each game by an average of 44.3 points. These teams also played an exhibition game in October 2015 at Negaunee High School with the Wildcats winning 90-82 over a Lions team coached by now-Miners girls coach Mike O’Donnell.

More recently, NMU lost the opening two games of the current homestand to No. 20 Ferris State 76-63 on Dec. 9 and to Lake Superior State 74-72 on Dec. 11 when a game-tying shot fell off the rim at the final buzzer.

Max Bjorklund leads the Wildcats in scoring at 16.1 ppg, which also ranks eighth in the GLIAC, while teammate John Kerr averages 5.5 rebounds per game, putting him 12th in the league.

Three Northern players average multiple assists, Brian Parzych leading the way with 2.6 per game as Bjorklund has 2.2 and Kerr 2.1. Justin Kuehl has five blocked shots to lead the team there, while Parzych has 12 steals and Bjorklund 11.

The homestand winds up with two GLIAC games next week when the Wildcats host Purdue Northwest at 7:45 p.m. Thursday and Wisconsin-Parkside at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8.

Tickets are available online at bit.ly/32vIX3d, while the team can be followed at all times @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter.

Information on Sunday game’s will be available with video at bit.ly/3qvGgqf and live statistics at bit.ly/3JkJ6Hg.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.