HOUGHTON, Mich. â€Ã‚“ The NMU menâ€Ã‚™s basketball team wasshooting as cold as the weather outside the SDC at Michigan Tech on Mondaynight for the first 20 minutes of the game. The â€Ã‚˜Cats were 8-26 from the floor for the first half (30.8 percent) andfound themselves down to the Huskies 40-19 at the half.  The second half the â€Ã‚˜Cats did turn thingsaround by out-scoring the Huskies 44-30, but it was not enough as Tech took thegame 70-63.  Michigan Tech is rankedfourth in NCAA II.  NMU falls to 11-7overall on the season and 7-3 in the GLIAC. Tech is now 18-1 and 10-0. 

With 4:12 left in regulation the â€Ã‚˜Cats made their move.  Moving to a full court press the â€Ã‚˜Cats didrattle the Huskies a bit.  NMUâ€Ã‚™s nextthree made baskets were all three-pointers as the team narrowed the gap to68-56 with less than three minutes left. Over the last four minutes of the game the â€Ã‚˜Cats went on a 13-2run. 

Billy Hill was the lone â€Ã‚˜Cat to hit for double-digits with16 points.  For the game the â€Ã‚˜Cats shot46.4 percent form the floor (26-56) as the Huskies cooled off a bit in thesecond half by going for 44.3 percent for the game (27-61).  NMU was 9-25 from the three-point line (36percent) as they only made two of their seven free throw attempts (28.6percent).  The Huskies had four morerebounds than the â€Ã‚˜Cats on the night with 38 to NMUâ€Ã‚™s 34. But, Tech had 14offensive boards on the night. 

NMU hits the road to take on Grand Valley State (Jan. 30)and Ferris State (Feb. 1) this week.