North Michigan News

Gerald Gittens led the Northern Michigan University Wildcats to a 73-62 victory over the Parkside Rangers in Marquette, Michigan. Gittens scored all 18 of his points and added three steals in the final 8:40 of the game. This win improved NMU's record to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), while Parkside fell to 2-6, with a conference record of 0-2.

The Wildcats were trailing early in the second half but managed to turn the game around with a 13-0 run. Gittens then took control, ensuring a win for NMU by contributing significantly on both ends of the court. He was flawless from the free throw line, going 9-for-9, and also led his team with five assists.

Dylan Kuehl matched Gittens' scoring with another 18 points for NMU, while Brian Parzych added 11. All seven Wildcats who played contributed to the score sheet. The team had an impressive performance on rebounds, dominating Parkside with a count of 33-18. This marked one of their best rebounding performances since Lake Erie College recorded only 17 rebounds against them in January 2013.

The Wildcats shot at a rate of nearly 49% from the floor and managed six three-pointers out of twenty attempts. In contrast, Parkside had a shooting percentage of 46% from the field and hit eight out of twenty from beyond the arc. NMU held advantages in points in the paint and second-chance points.

For Parkside, Josiah Palmer was their leading scorer with 20 points. The Rangers initially gained momentum with early three-pointers but could not maintain their lead as NMU rallied back into contention.

The game began slowly for both teams until Parkside built up an early lead through successful three-point shots. However, NMU responded effectively towards halftime and continued this momentum into the second half despite some initial setbacks after halftime.

Gittens' performance was pivotal during critical moments; he scored crucial baskets and executed key defensive plays that secured NMU's advantage late in the game.

NMU will next face Upper Iowa on December 14th as they continue their season campaign.