DEKALB, Ill. -- Sophomore Eugene German scored a career-high 31 points and junior Levi Bradley added 21 as the Northern Illinois Huskies topped Western Michigan, 75-67, on Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center.
After trailing by four at the half, NIU (12-15, 5-9 MAC) . . .
After trailing by four at the half, NIU (12-15, 5-9 MAC) . . .
. . . shot 61.5 percent (16-of-26) in the second half, while holding Western Michigan to just under 40 percent shooting (11-of-28), to claim the victory.
“I think we out-toughed them in the second half,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “We were very efficient offensively, shooting 61 percent (in the second half), 80 percent at the line, (and) 40 percent shooting threes. It was one of those games where there wasn’t going to be a lot of separation. You have two teams that really want to lock-in defensively.
“(Eugene) German and (Levi) Bradley carried us offensively and we rode that wave in the second half. That was enough to get us the win, but it started on the defensive end.”
Neither team led by more than four in an evenly played first half. With the game tied at 22, Bradley converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Huskies a 25-22 advantage with just under four minutes remaining before the break.
Western Michigan (15-12, 7-7 MAC) closed the half on a 9-2 run as the Broncos took a 31-27 lead into halftime. German led NIU with 10 points in the opening 20 minutes; Thomas Wilder had 11 points to pace the Broncos.
A triple by Bradley early in the second half capped a 7-1 run for the Huskies out of halftime and pushed NIU in front by a pair, 34-32, but Western Michigan responded with the next seven as the Broncos took a 39-34 advantage with 13:21 left.
The Broncos were still in front by five when NIU used a 10-0 run to take a 46-41 lead with 10:21 to play. German opened the burst with a trifecta, junior Lacey James added a layup before German scored the next five to give the Huskies the five-point advantage.
James finished with eight points and five rebounds.
Western Michigan came right back and took a one-point lead, 49-48, until a 6-1 Huskie burst moved NIU back in front, 54-50, with 6:35 remaining.
After a pair of free throws by the Broncos cut the NIU lead in half, the Huskies used a 9-0 run to take an 11-point lead, their largest of the night, 63-52.
German opened the run with a layup, Bradley added a triple from the wing, sophomore Justin Thomas made a basket and Bradley converted a pair from the line as the Huskies pushed their lead to double-digits with 3:37 to play.
Bradley went 9-of-9 from the free-throw line and has now made 17-straight free throws dating back to Feb. 3.
Western Michigan made one final push as the Broncos scored 13 of the next 18 to pull within three. Bryce Moore capped the run with a trifecta with 48 ticks remaining as WMU cut the NIU lead to 68-65.
NIU broke Western Michigan’s full-court pressure, finished with a dunk by James, and then made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 33 seconds to close out the victory as the Huskies improved to 10-1 this season when holding opponents under 70 points.
Wilder finished with 20 points to lead Western Michigan, Moore added 15 for the Broncos.
NEXT:
Both teams return to action Tuesday. Northern Illinois is at Ball State. Western Michigan hosts Central Michigan. Both games tip at 7 p.m.
“I think we out-toughed them in the second half,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “We were very efficient offensively, shooting 61 percent (in the second half), 80 percent at the line, (and) 40 percent shooting threes. It was one of those games where there wasn’t going to be a lot of separation. You have two teams that really want to lock-in defensively.
“(Eugene) German and (Levi) Bradley carried us offensively and we rode that wave in the second half. That was enough to get us the win, but it started on the defensive end.”
Neither team led by more than four in an evenly played first half. With the game tied at 22, Bradley converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Huskies a 25-22 advantage with just under four minutes remaining before the break.
Western Michigan (15-12, 7-7 MAC) closed the half on a 9-2 run as the Broncos took a 31-27 lead into halftime. German led NIU with 10 points in the opening 20 minutes; Thomas Wilder had 11 points to pace the Broncos.
A triple by Bradley early in the second half capped a 7-1 run for the Huskies out of halftime and pushed NIU in front by a pair, 34-32, but Western Michigan responded with the next seven as the Broncos took a 39-34 advantage with 13:21 left.
The Broncos were still in front by five when NIU used a 10-0 run to take a 46-41 lead with 10:21 to play. German opened the burst with a trifecta, junior Lacey James added a layup before German scored the next five to give the Huskies the five-point advantage.
James finished with eight points and five rebounds.
Western Michigan came right back and took a one-point lead, 49-48, until a 6-1 Huskie burst moved NIU back in front, 54-50, with 6:35 remaining.
After a pair of free throws by the Broncos cut the NIU lead in half, the Huskies used a 9-0 run to take an 11-point lead, their largest of the night, 63-52.
German opened the run with a layup, Bradley added a triple from the wing, sophomore Justin Thomas made a basket and Bradley converted a pair from the line as the Huskies pushed their lead to double-digits with 3:37 to play.
Bradley went 9-of-9 from the free-throw line and has now made 17-straight free throws dating back to Feb. 3.
Western Michigan made one final push as the Broncos scored 13 of the next 18 to pull within three. Bryce Moore capped the run with a trifecta with 48 ticks remaining as WMU cut the NIU lead to 68-65.
NIU broke Western Michigan’s full-court pressure, finished with a dunk by James, and then made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 33 seconds to close out the victory as the Huskies improved to 10-1 this season when holding opponents under 70 points.
Wilder finished with 20 points to lead Western Michigan, Moore added 15 for the Broncos.
NEXT:
Both teams return to action Tuesday. Northern Illinois is at Ball State. Western Michigan hosts Central Michigan. Both games tip at 7 p.m.
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