815-561-8255 Request Line
Watch LIVE High School Sports

Upcoming Events

Friday, Mar 22, 10:00 AM
Saturday, Mar 23, 11:00 AM
Saturday, Mar 23, 6:15 PM
Saturday, Mar 30, 8:00 AM
Saturday, Mar 30, 10:45 AM

Social Media

Find us on Facebook Follow us on X















NIU loses 4th straight game

ATHENS, Ohio -- After falling behind by as much as 18 in the first half, the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team rallied back to take a second half lead before falling, 80-69, on Saturday afternoon at Ohio. Junior Aaric Armstead  led the Huskies with 15 points and 10 rebounds, freshman Levi Bradley  also added 15 points and sophomore Marin Maric  had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Senior Travon Baker also scored in double figures with 10 points and added a team-high five assists.

“Ohio came out smoking, they shot unbelievable (in the first half), it was a tale of two halves,” NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “Their start, 60 percent (shooting) in the first half, I don’t think we have defended that poorly all season, but credit their guys, they were making plays.

“In the second half I thought we were a lot more aggressive on the defensive end, we got in a pretty good rhythm and the game came down, like most games we have been in, to the final four minutes and (Jaaron) Simmons took over. (Jordan) Dartis hit a big three in transition and I thought that was the difference.”

Ohio (14-8, 5-5 MAC) grabbed the early lead but NIU used a 5-0 burst to take its first lead of the contest, 7-6; Ohio responded with a 10-4 run of its own to push the Bobcats in front, 16-11, with just under 12 minutes to play in the opening half.

Armstead knocked down a triple to trim the Ohio lead to just a pair, 16-14, but the Bobcats answered with 10 of the next 12 to take a 26-16 lead with 7:23 to play in the first half.

An old-fashioned three-point play from Bradley cut the Bobcat lead back to seven, but Ohio scored the next five to push its lead to a dozen, 31-19.

The Ohio lead grew to as much as 18 in the final minute of the half until a short corner jumper from Armstead cut the Bobcat lead to 49-33 at the intermission.

Ohio shot 60.6 percent (20-of-33) in the first half, including 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from three; while holding the Huskies to just 35.7 percent (10-of-28) shooting. Jordan Dartis led all scorers with 14 points in the opening half while Armstead paced the Huskies with nine points.

The Bobcats scored the first pair out of the intermission to push the lead back to 18, but the Huskies answered with the next 12, including eight from Maric as the Huskies trimmed the Ohio advantage to 51-45 with 15:29 to play.

After a basket by the Bobcats pushed their lead to eight, NIU used a 9-2 run to cut the Ohio lead to just one, 55-54. The teams traded baskets and Ohio led by three before Bradley scored seven-straight, capped by an old-fashioned three-point play off an offensive rebound, giving the Huskies a 63-59 lead with 8:33 left.

NIU (16-7, 5-5 MAC) and Ohio traded a pair of buckets as the Huskies continued to lead by four, 65-61, with 6:30 remaining before the Bobcats closed the game on a 19-4 run.

Ohio scored six-straight to regain the lead, 66-65, Armstead answered with a bucket off the glass with 3:40 left that pushed the Huskies in front but the Bobcats knocked down back-to-back triples from Jaaron Simmons and Dartis to take a five-point lead, 72-67, with less than three minutes to play.

Following an empty possession for the Huskies, Ohio split a pair of free throws to go up six, Baker then drove to the basket for a layup to cut the lead to just four, 73-69, but that is as close as NIU would get as the Bobcats hung on for the victory.

Simmons scored a game-high 24 points and dished out 12 assists to lead Ohio; Dartis added 17 points, Treg Setty chipped in 12 and Antonio Campbell added 11 points for the Bobcats.

NIU will be on the road again on Tuesday, Feb. 9, when the Huskies conclude a stretch of four-of-five on the road as they visit Kent State. Game time against the Golden Flashes is slated for 6 p.m. CT.

Comments

Download the App Today!

Download the Apple app today
Download the Google Play app today
Closings and Cancellations
Copyright © 2024 Superhits 93.5. All Rights Reserved.
Public File
FCC Applications
Site by RiverBender.com