DEKALB, Ill. -- Sophomore Eugene German hit a pull-up jumper with 12.4 seconds left as Northern Illinois finished the regular season with a dramatic, 66-65 victory over Ball State on Friday night at the NIU Convocation Center.
German’s game-winner capped . . .
German’s game-winner capped . . .
. . . a game-high 25-point night, while junior Levi Bradley finished with 18 points and a career-high 17 rebounds for his seventh career double-double. Junior Dante Thorpe added 11 points.
“What a game,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “I thought we played an incredible first half. It seemed like it took so much energy that we couldn’t get going in the second half. Credit Ball State, they went on an unbelievable run, then you have to give the credit back to our guys because we found a way to will ourselves to the win.”
NIU (13-18, 6-12 MAC) dominated the boards in the contest, outrebounding Ball State, 49-35. The Huskies tallied 19 second chance points to just four for the Cardinals.
After NIU led by eight at the half, Ball State ran off 15 points to open the second half as the Cardinals took a 44-37 lead. Bradley scored to end the run and ignite a 7-2 burst by NIU that brought the Huskies back within a pair, 46-44, with just over 12 minutes remaining.
Ball State (19-12, 10-8) pushed its lead back to a half-dozen, 56-50, with a little less than six minutes to play.
The Huskies and Cardinals then traded free throws before NIU made four-straight at the stripe to trim the Cardinal lead to a pair, 58-56, with 3:43 to go. However, Ball State scored the next three as the lead ballooned back to five, 61-56.
With just over two minutes remaining, German found Thorpe in the corner for a triple as NIU pulled back within two. Once again, Ball State had an answer as the Cardinals scored four-straight to lead again by a half-dozen, 65-59, with 1:33 left.
On the next possession, Thorpe converted an old-fashioned three-point play to cut the Ball State lead in half. The Huskies then got a defensive stop and German scored at the rim with 33 seconds to play as NIU pulled within one, 65-64.
NIU fouled to extend the game with 27 seconds left and Ball State missed a pair from the line, giving the ball back to the Huskies, down just one.
The Huskies called a timeout with 22.8 seconds left and, following the timeout, German went around a screen. He pulled up from just inside the three-point line, rattling home a basket to give the Huskies a one-point lead.
Ball State raced up the floor and put up a shot from near the three-point line as time expired, but the try came up short.
Tayler Persons scored 23 points to lead Ball State, Tahjai Teague added 14 points.
(Courtesy of NIU Athletics)
“What a game,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “I thought we played an incredible first half. It seemed like it took so much energy that we couldn’t get going in the second half. Credit Ball State, they went on an unbelievable run, then you have to give the credit back to our guys because we found a way to will ourselves to the win.”
NIU (13-18, 6-12 MAC) dominated the boards in the contest, outrebounding Ball State, 49-35. The Huskies tallied 19 second chance points to just four for the Cardinals.
After NIU led by eight at the half, Ball State ran off 15 points to open the second half as the Cardinals took a 44-37 lead. Bradley scored to end the run and ignite a 7-2 burst by NIU that brought the Huskies back within a pair, 46-44, with just over 12 minutes remaining.
Ball State (19-12, 10-8) pushed its lead back to a half-dozen, 56-50, with a little less than six minutes to play.
The Huskies and Cardinals then traded free throws before NIU made four-straight at the stripe to trim the Cardinal lead to a pair, 58-56, with 3:43 to go. However, Ball State scored the next three as the lead ballooned back to five, 61-56.
With just over two minutes remaining, German found Thorpe in the corner for a triple as NIU pulled back within two. Once again, Ball State had an answer as the Cardinals scored four-straight to lead again by a half-dozen, 65-59, with 1:33 left.
On the next possession, Thorpe converted an old-fashioned three-point play to cut the Ball State lead in half. The Huskies then got a defensive stop and German scored at the rim with 33 seconds to play as NIU pulled within one, 65-64.
NIU fouled to extend the game with 27 seconds left and Ball State missed a pair from the line, giving the ball back to the Huskies, down just one.
The Huskies called a timeout with 22.8 seconds left and, following the timeout, German went around a screen. He pulled up from just inside the three-point line, rattling home a basket to give the Huskies a one-point lead.
Ball State raced up the floor and put up a shot from near the three-point line as time expired, but the try came up short.
Tayler Persons scored 23 points to lead Ball State, Tahjai Teague added 14 points.
(Courtesy of NIU Athletics)
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