Northern Michigan University’s Biggie Luster, left, and Dylan Kuehl, right, double-team Northland’s Donovan Washington but is still able to get this pass off during their game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Dec. 21. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The presents are opened and the Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team is on a roll with five straight victories heading into the all-GLIAC 2025 portion of its season.

If something sounds familiar about the Wildcats winning a bunch of games in a row about this time of year, it should. At this time in 2024 — a year ago now — NMU was also working on a five-game winning streak in what would become a program record-tying 13 victories in a row that wouldn’t end until the first weekend of February.

While something like that couldn’t be expected or predicted again, it’s not such a bad sign for a team that sixth-year head coach Matt Majkrzak is looking to lead to its second straight conference regular-season title and third straight NCAA Division II tournament appearance.

This year’s team is 8-2, while last year’s squad was “only” 10-5 at this point. But both team’s two most recent losses came to the same teams that are in the country’s top 10 this season — Minnesota State-Moorhead and Minnesota-Duluth.

The current Wildcats are looking to get to double-digit wins with a road sweep in Grand Rapids against Davenport at 7:30 p.m. today and in nearby Allendale against Grand Valley State at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Panthers are a modest 4-6 overall and 0-2 in conference, while the Lakers are 6-4, and like NMU, 2-0 in the GLIAC.

Both games will be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point, while fans can also follow @NMU_MensBBALL and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during games. Or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the men’s basketball schedule for links to live video, live statistics, game previews and series histories.

After this weekend, Northern returns home to Vandament Arena for its next four games over a two-week period. The Wildcats open with a big one, against Michigan Tech at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, then follows with a home encounter against new conference member Roosevelt at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, vs. Wayne State at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, and vs. Saginaw Valley State at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18.

NMU’s most recent game was an 83-37 blowout of Northland, not as impressive as it sounds as the Lumberjacks are a winless NCAA Division III squad.

Before that, though, was a win to crow about, a 79-76 win over Upper Iowa at neutral-site Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, as the Peacocks are No. 25 nationally.

The Wildcats have the stingiest defense in the conference over all games this season, allowing 65.3 points per game and 28.7 rebounds to opponents.

They’re also third in steals with 8.1 a game, with Gerald Gittens Jr.’s 1.7 and Biggie Luster’s 1.5 leading the way as Gittens is tied for second in the league and Luster sixth.

Gittens has made multiple steals in the last four games, while Luster comes off a crazy, six-steal game against Northland, something last seen by an NMU player in 2019.

Dylan Kuehl, a GLIAC Preseason First Team selection, leads Northern’s offense at 14.9 ppg and 6.3 rebounds each contest, surpassing 1,000 career points earlier in the season. His scoring ties him for 10th in the league and rebounding ties him for eighth.

Julien Smith at 13.4 ppg and Sam Privet at 10.3 ppg are also in double-figures scoring, while Brian Parzych at 8.9 ppg and Gittens at 8.7 ppg nicely round out a balanced-scoring starting five.

Despite a sub.-500 record, Davenport has won its last two games and is 3-3 at home, knocking off Tiffin 62-61 most recently on Dec. 21.

The Panthers average 71.1 ppg, shooting 44% from the floor.

The Wildcats are 14-3 all-time against DU and have won four straight. Last season, NMU won 81-63 in Grand Rapids and 83-64 in Marquette.

And while the Lakers have a winning record, they’ve lost their past two games, both in overtime, falling 88-86 in two OTs at Indianapolis and 94-91 in a single OT to Illinois-Springfield, a team Northern edged 85-83 in Wisconsin Dells in mid-November. GVSU is 2-3 on its home court.

Its offense averages 80.9 ppg and has a plus-7.9 rebounding margin that leads the league. Four Lakers are averaging double figures scoring, with Kaden Brown at 13.3 ppg and William Dunn at 13.1 ppg leading the way.

Northern is 36-58 all-time vs. Grand Valley as these teams played three times last season. NMU won 63-61 win in Allendale before GVSU defeated the Wildcats 106-99 in two OTs in Marquette while also knocking off NMU 92-77 in the GLIAC tourney, also in Marquette.

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