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NIU loses 2nd MAC game

AKRON, Ohio – Akron knocked down 12 three-pointers as the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team fell, 76-66, to the Zips on Tuesday night at Rhodes Arena. Freshman Marshawn Wilson scored a team-high 15 points as the Huskies fall to 16-4 overall, 5-2 in Mid-American Conference play.

Senior Travon Baker (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Consortium) and junior Aaric Armstead each added 10 points for the Huskies. Akron went 26-of-35 (74.3 percent) from the free-throw line while NIU was just 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from the charity stripe.

“I thought it was a hard-fought game,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “It was two physical teams. When crunch time came in the final minutes, Akron stepped up and made two huge threes and I thought that was the difference. Credit Akron, they made plays; we competed, but teams played hard.”

Akron (16-4, 5-2 MAC) led 8-7 until back-to-back driving layups from Wilson pushed the Huskies in front by three, 11-8, just past the midway point of the opening half.

Wilson split a pair of free throws to put the Huskies up a pair, 16-14, but Akron responded with an 11-3 run to take a 25-19 lead with 5:16 to play before the intermission.

NIU answered with the next five on a drive and kick to freshman Levi Bradley  for a triple and a baseline drive from Armstead to cut the Akron lead to just one, 25-24, but the Zips had a five-point play on the next possession with a triple and an off-ball foul that led to two free throws, pushing the Akron lead back to a half-dozen, 30-24.

The Huskies answered with the final seven of the half to take a one-point lead, 31-30, into the break. Freshman Laytwan Porter  opened the run with a driving layup, junior Michael Orris added a short jumper and Bradley connected on a deep three to give NIU the lead at the break.

Bradley finished with nine points and six rebounds.

After the intermission, a triple from Jake Kretzer gave Akron a three-point lead, 38-35, with 14:52 to play. NIU answered with a layup by senior Chuks Iroegbu  and a pair of free throws by Wilson to push the Huskies in front, but Akron scored the next seven to take a 45-39 lead with 12:36 to go.

NIU responded with the next six as Porter knocked down a free throw, sophomore Marin Maric made a layup and Wilson canned a triple to pull the Huskies even, 45-45, with just over 11 minutes remaining.

A bucket by Orris tied the game at 56 with 5:22 left, but Akron scored the next six to take a 62-56 lead with just under four minutes to play. A free throw from Maric cut the lead to five, but Akron scored the next five to push the lead to 70-60 with 1:26 left.

Kwan Cheatham Jr. led the Zips with 18 points, Antino Jackson and Isaiah Johnson each added 13 and Noah Robotham added 11.

The Huskies will be back on the road on Saturday, Jan. 30, as they travel to Oxford, Ohio, to meet the Miami RedHawks. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m..

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