Northern Michigan University’s Dylan Kuehl, right, looks to get around several defenders during a Wildcat men’s basketball game played at the Vandament Arena in Marquette earlier this season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — Things are looking up for the future of the men’s baskeball team at Northern Michigan University if Saturday’s game is any indication.

The Wildcats came back to defeat Upper Iowa 79-76 at the neutral-site Justagame Fieldhouse that afternoon in what potentially could be an NCAA Division II Tournament matchup this March.

Both teams are ranked in the top 10 in the Midwest Region, and rightfully so — NMU improved to 7-2 with the victory, while Upper Iowa of the Great Lakes Valley Conference is still 7-3 despite the loss. Upper Iowa was also ranked No. 25 in the nation coming into Saturday.

In fact, the win might help Northern’s resume if and when the Wildcats need that help come national tourney time at the end of the season. Maybe they won’t be good enough for that to make any difference, or maybe they won’t need the help as winners of the GLIAC Tournament and the automatic berth that comes with it to the nationals.

But just in case, this win might sure come in handy.

NMU Sports Information found there were 25 lead changes and a dozen ties on Saturday, the final lead change obviously the most important. That occurred with 33 seconds to go when the Wildcats’ Julien Smith sank a 3-pointer to turn a 73-72 deficit into a 75-73 lead.

It was the first triple he made Saturday after missing his first six attempts.

Smith actually scored the game’s final seven points — he completed a “traditional” three-point play with a layup and free throw with 12 seconds left, then hit 1 of 2 free throws with five seconds to go.

He also had Northern’s final nine points after he made an earlier jump shot with 1:20 left.

Smith was part of NMU’s balanced scoring attack as he finished with 15 points to go with seven rebounds and no turnovers in 29 minutes court time.

Dylan Kuehl led the Wildcats in the scoring column with 19 points, making 8 of 11 shots from the field, including a 3, along with 2 of 2 free throws. He also pulled down seven rebounds.

Teammate Sam Privet added 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds, and like Smith, didn’t commit a turnover in his 30 minutes court time.

Northern’s Derek Merwick came off the bench to score 11 points in just 17 minutes, making 4 of 5 shots including a perfect 3 of 3 on treys, while starting guard Brian Parzych had eight points and Gerald Gittens Jr. seven.

The Peacocks’ Nick Reid led all scorers with 20 points as he also pulled down eight rebounds.

While UIU made more free throws — 22 of 27 vs. 14 of 18 for NMU — the Wildcats shot much better from the field, 53% (30 of 57) to 35% (23 of 66) and won the rebounding battle, 42-34. Upper Iowa did have the advantage in turnovers, 17-7.

In this fourth game — and fourth win — at the Wisconsin Dells this season, Northern was involved in back-and-forth affair throughout. There were four leads changes in the first 7 1/2 minutes as that continued for the rest of the first half, too. Only three times in those first 20 minutes did either team take more than a one-possession lead — that was each time by NMU and each time by exactly four points.

Just before halftime, the Peacocks erased Northern’s last four-point lead, 33-29 with 1:49 left, by scoring the final five points before intermission, capped off by Caleb Delzell’s pair of free throws with 10 seconds to go that made it 34-33 UIU at the break.

The Peacocks used that late rush as momentum to start the second half, opening up a lead that twice reached seven points during the first seven minutes back.

But the Wildcats weren’t about to give in, turning Upper Iowa’s second big lead, 47-40, into a 51-51 tie in a span of just three minutes. During that time, Northern’s balance shone, as Smith, Privet, Parzych and Merwick each hit baskets with Jackson Dudek making a pair of free throws and Parzych one charity toss following his basket for the traditional three-point play.

It was game on after that, with the lead trading hands repeatedly and neither team establishing more than a four-point cushion until Smith’s heroics in the final 15 seconds.

NMU has one more game before the calendar turns to 2025, hosting NCAA Division III Northland College of Ashland, Wisconsin, at Vandament Arena at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Coming back after the new year, the Wildcats jump right back into GLIAC play, traveling to Davenport on Thursday, Jan. 2, and Grand Valley State on Saturday, Jan. 4.

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