The Purdue Northwest Men's Basketball team delivered one of its biggest wins of the season Saturday afternoon, knocking off No. 17 Northern Michigan 88-76 in GLIAC action at the PNW Fitness & Recreation Center.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (11-12, 7-9 GLIAC), #17 Northern Michigan (21-5, 12-4 GLIAC)
• Location: PNW Fitness & Recreation Center – Hammond, Indiana
• Attendance: 250

Inside The Numbers

• Purdue Northwest shot 29-of-54 (53.7%) from the field, 9-of-22 (40.9%) from three-point range, and 21-of-25 (84.0%) from the free-throw line.
• Northern Michigan finished 28-of-57 (49.1%) overall, 7-of-21 (33.3%) from beyond the arc, and 13-of-17 (76.5%) at the stripe.
• The Pride held a 34-27 rebounding advantage and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds.
• Purdue Northwest scored 24 fast-break points and added 12 points off turnovers.
• The Pride bench contributed 26 points in the win.
• The contest featured nine ties and four lead changes.
• Junior Ahlante Askew (Republic, Mo./Republic) led the Pride with 22 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-7 from three-point range.
• Sophomore Aaiden Ashton (Mount Pleasant, Iowa/Mount Pleasant) added 13 points, going a perfect 8-of-8 at the free-throw line.
• Graduate student Kevin Taylor (Acworth, Ga./Allatoona) recorded 11 points and eight rebounds, while freshman Garrett Clark (Portage, Ind./Portage) finished with 10 points and five boards.
• Senior Kyle Ross (Saint John, Ind./Lake Central) anchored the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points and three assists.
• Junior Kwat Abdelkarim (Lincoln, Neb./North Star) provided 12 points off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting and went 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
• Northern Michigan was led by Dylan Kuehl with 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting, while Bennett Basich added 15 points.

The Breakdown

• Northern Michigan opened the afternoon shooting 53.6 percent in the first half and carried a narrow 40-38 lead into the break. The Pride stayed within striking distance behind efficient offense of their own, connecting on 57.7 percent of their first-half attempts and knocking down five three-pointers.
• Purdue Northwest seized control in the second half with a 50-point outburst over the final 20 minutes. The Pride shot 50.0 percent from the floor and an impressive 18-of-20 (90.0%) at the free-throw line after halftime.
• After multiple ties early in the second half, Purdue Northwest used a key run fueled by fast-break opportunities and strong defensive stops to build separation. Northern Michigan managed just one three-pointer in the second half, going 1-of-8 from deep.
• The Pride maintained their composure at the line down the stretch and controlled the glass to secure the 88-76 upset victory over the nationally ranked Wildcats.

Up Next

• Purdue Northwest continues GLIAC play next week as they hit the road to take on Parkside on Thursday, February 19. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM CT in Kenosha, Wisconsin.