Northern Michigan University’s Brian Parzych, facing at top right, gets a shot off between a pair of Northland players during their college men’s basketball game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Dec. 21. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — In a season where the anticipation of something big keeps increasing as the Wildcats’ winning streak does, tonight could be a crowning moment for the Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team.

NMU hosts Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech at 7:30 p.m. at Vandament Arena, the first time they have played each other at Northern’s renovated arena.

The Wildcats are coming in on a high, a seven-game winning streak that has helped produce a 4-0 start in the GLIAC and tie for first place. This marks Northern’s fifth time in the last four seasons of posting a win streak of at least seven games, according to NMU Sports Information in a preview of tonight’s game, which includes last season’s 13-game string that tied the record in a program that dates to 1906.

The Huskies are 3-1 in the league and right behind leaders NMU and Ferris State. Tech is also tied with another U.P. rival, Lake Superior State. MTU had its own seven-game win streak going until its most recent game on Saturday, when the Huskies lost 73-71 in overtime at Davenport.

Tonight’s game will be televised on Fox-U.P., broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point and also available to watch on the internet at FloHoops.

The 10-2 Wildcats haven’t lost since late November.

Their most recent victories were 60-52 at Davenport last Thursday and 78-70 at Grand Valley State on Saturday.

Dylan Kuehl led Northern in those games, and in so doing, earned the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week award for the second time in the past three weeks it’s been given out. He notched game highs of 19 points and eight rebounds vs. DU, then followed with 21 points while tying a career-high with four 3-pointers on just six attempts vs. GVSU.

Julien Smith is the Wildcats’ No. 2 scorer at 12.9 ppg and been clutch when it’s counted most, making 8 of 10 shots in the final four minutes of games that were 10 points or closer, including every one of his past seven shots in that situation, according to NMU SI.

The starting five is well rounded with Sam Privet averaging 10.6 ppg, Gerald Gittens Jr. at 8.8 ppg and Brian Parzych at 7.9 ppg.

Despite all that offense, the Wildcats have the GLIAC’s stingiest defense, allowing just 64.6 ppg, including 59.5 ppg in the league, which is also 15th in the nation.

The Huskies’ impressive 8-4 overall record comes after a 2-3 start as they score at a 78.8-point clip and allow 68.4 ppg.

GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year Marcus Tomashek leads the conference and is 10th nationally in scoring at 23.5 ppg, scoring 29 points or more five times and reaching a career high 40 in an upset win over MSU-Moorhead. Like Kuehl, he’s been GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season.

In their rivalry dating back more than a century, NMU leads 139-86, including wins in five of their last six meetings.

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