Northern Michigan University’s Julien Smith, bottom, gets knocked about by Grand Valley State’s Jalen Charity as Smith drives the lane in the first half of their GLIAC men’s basketball game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University men’s basketball team allowed its head coach, Matt Majkrzak, to celebrate his 100th victory as a Wildcat in style after NMU pounded Davenport in the second half for an 86-57 victory.

First-year Wildcat Julien Smith led all scorers with 20 points as he made four 3-pointers and 6 of 6 free throws. He also contributed five rebounds and three assists as Northern improved to 14-6 overall and 8-4 in the GLIAC, still in fourth place but only two games behind frontrunners Lake Superior State and Michigan Tech.

Davenport slipped to 5-15 and 1-11 with its eighth straight loss.

Majkrzak is in his sixth season at NMU and has a 100-62 record in Marquette.

Derek Merwick came off the bench to score 15 points for NMU, making 7 of 8 shots from the field including the only triple he attempted. He also made three steals, the only player from either team with more than one.

Jackson Dudek added 13 points to the winning cause, also shooting well as he made 6 of 6 from the field, including a 3, while he also grabbed nine rebounds and didn’t turn the ball over in 25 minutes court time.

League top-10 scorer Dylan Kuehl of Northern also broke into double figures with 12 points, making 4 of 4 free throws and getting three rebounds.

Sam Privet just missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds, also making three assists and blocking a game-high two shots.

The Panthers were paced by Jovan Tucker with 18 points.

Reaching their high point total of the season, the Wildcats blistered the nets, making more than half their shots, 52% on 33 of 64, and sinking 13 of 13 free throws, a perfect 100%. NMU also outrebounded their guests 40-24 even while committing eight more fouls, 25-17.

Despite the lopsided final score, Davenport had several first-half leads, the final one 29-27 after Tucker hit a pair of free throws with 3:27 left.

NMU still led a majority of the opening half, its biggest advantage 25-18 with 6:57 to go after a Kuehl traditional layup-and-free-throw, three-point play.

Northern also outscored DU 8-2 in the final 3 1/2 minutes to take a 35-31 halftime lead. In that stretch, Merwick had a pair of layups and a jumper, while Privet also put in a layup.

The Wildcats then took control in the second half, needing less than five minutes to build a double-digit lead, 46-36, after a Gerald Gittens Jr. triple.

NMU worked it to a 20-point advantage, 62-41, with 10:29 left after a Merwick jumper, then hit its high-water mark of 29 points for the first time with 1:47 to go, 84-55, after a Brandon Trilli layup.

The final margin was also 29 after Trilli hit another layup for the game’s final points with 1:19 left.

The Wildcats hit the road for games at University Center to face GLIAC eighth-place Saginaw Valley State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and at Detroit to take on sixth-place Wayne State at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.