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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team had a two-point lead with nine minutes to play, but Bowling Green went on a 16-2 run en route to a 56-46 victory over the Huskies on Tuesday night at the Stroh Center. Senior Aaron Armstead (Chicago. Ill./Hales Franciscan/San Jose City College)scored a team-high 12 points to lead the Huskies.

“It was a defensive battle,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “Both teams had chances to pull away but couldn’t because of the good defense. I thought Bowling Green came out of the locker room a little better in the second half, then we went on a heck of a run to take a two-point lead after being down 10. Then they went on their run and unfortunately we couldn’t hold the fort down.”

Bowling Green (13-5, 5-2 MAC) scored the opening four points of the contest before NIU answered with the next five to take its first lead of the night three minutes into the contest. The Falcons scored the next five to move back in front, 9-5.

With the Falcons leading by one, 13-12, Bowling Green scored four-straight to push its lead to five with 7:46 to play in the first half. NIU answered with the next seven, started by an old-fashioned three-point by from junior Darrell Bowie (Milwaukee, Wis./La Jolla Prep). Redshirt junior Keith Gray (Chicago, Ill./Brooks Academy) added two free throws and senior Jordan Threloff (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb/Illinois State) made a layup as NIU went in front, 19-17, with 4:28 left in the opening half.

Bowling Green ended the NIU (8-10, 2-5 MAC) run with a dunk from Richaun Holmes. Junior Chuks Iroegbu (Elk Grove, Calif./Franklin/City College of San Francisco) put NIU back in front with a free throw but Anthony Henderson knocked down a 14-foot jumper just before the horn to give the Falcons a 21-20 advantage at the break.

Holmes led all scorers with 10 points in the opening 20 minutes; Bowie, Iroegbu and redshirt sophomore Michael Orris (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee/Kansas State) each had four to lead the way for the Huskies.

The Falcons scored the first five points out of the intermission before NIU got on the board with a put-back from Threloff. Bowling Green answered with triple from Zack Denny as the Falcons pushed their advantage to 29-22 with 16 minutes to play. The triple as the first of three-straight for Denny as the Falcons pulled out to a 35-26 lead.

Armstead answered with an old-fashioned three-point play, sparking an 8-0 run as the Huskies pulled within one, 35-34. Johnson knocked down a triple from the wing and Bowie made a layup to cap the run for NIU.

Johnson finished with eight points while Bowie added six points and five rebounds.

After a basket by the Falcons, Armstead scored the next five, capped by a corner trifecta as the Huskies went in front, 39-37, with nine minutes left.

Bowling Green responded with the next seven to take a five point lead, 44-39, with just over six minutes to play. The Falcon run reached 16-2 as Bowling Green led by a dozen, 53-41, with 2:27 left.

Holmes scored a game-high 18 points with seven rebounds to lead Bowling Green; Denny added 13 points and Henderson chipped in 11.

The Huskies will return home on Saturday, Jan. 31, when they host the Rockets of Toledo. Game time against Toledo is slated for 7 p.m., and the contest will be shown live on ESPN3.