North Michigan News

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) Wildcats had a significant weekend in athletics, marked by notable achievements across men's basketball, women's basketball, and hockey.

In men's basketball, the Wildcats secured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular season championship with an 83-64 victory on Saturday. This marks their first outright GLIAC regular season title since the 1992-93 season. The team ended the regular season with a record of 21-9 overall and 14-4 in conference play. Despite a challenging start to the weekend with a double-overtime loss to Grand Valley State University (GVSU), they bounced back to clinch the title. The Wildcats are set to face Purdue Northwest at home on Wednesday, March 6.

The NMU women's basketball team earned the No. 3 seed for the upcoming GLIAC Tournament after splitting their weekend games. They narrowly lost to Grand Valley State in overtime but finished strong with a win against Davenport on Senior Day at Berry Events Center. The Wildcats concluded their regular season with a record of 19-8 overall and 13-5 in GLIAC play. They will meet Wayne State at home on Wednesday, March 6.

In hockey, NMU swept their final regular-season series against Bowling Green State University (BGSU), winning both games and earning six Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) points. Isack Bandu's performance was pivotal as he scored his first career collegiate goal and assisted another in Friday's game. Beni Halasz delivered an outstanding performance over the weekend, earning CCHA Goalie of the Week honors for his efforts, which included stopping all shots faced during Saturday's shutout victory. The Wildcats completed their regular season with a record of 12-14-6 overall and will now travel to Mankato, Minnesota for the CCHA Quarterfinals against Minnesota State Mavericks.