Final Stats | Final Stats in PDF 

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Freshman Marshawn Wilson (Oakdale, Minn./Hill-Murray) scored a career-high 26 points but the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team fell, 75-71, to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday night at the EMU Convocation Center.

With the results of tonight’s other Mid-American Conference games, NIU will host a first round MAC Conference Tournament game on Monday, March 7 at 7 p.m. (CT) at the NIU Convocation Center against an opponent to be determined. Tickets will be $10 each and can be purchased online at NIUHuskies.com beginning at 10 a.m. (CT), by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) beginning at 9 a.m. or at the NIU Convocation Center Ticket Office. All seats will be assigned in the lower level of the Convocation Center. Tickets for the MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game are NOT part of the season ticket package and must be purchased individually. Premium seat holders will be contacted regarding purchasing their seats as well as Nelson Club access. NIU students will be admitted free with a valid OneCard.   

The Huskie led by as much as 15 in the second half but Eastern Michigan stormed back and hit a triple with 2.5 seconds left to break a 70-70 tie and lift the Eagles to the win.

“It just seemed like after we got the 15-point lead we tightened up,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “Our first-shot defense was good, but we couldn’t seem to get the rebound. When the lead started shrinking, we couldn’t get a basket.

“Credit Eastern Michigan, they kept playing. You have to keep defending and rebounding, it is a shame because when you look at the stats it seemed like we outplayed them. Our turnovers hurt us and we didn’t make a three in the second half, they only made one, but it was the game-winning shot.”

NIU (19-11, 8-9 MAC) shot 66.7 percent (14-of-21) from the field in the first half but just 34.6 percent (9-of-26) after the intermission.

Leading by four in the early going, Eastern Michigan scored four-straight to push its lead to 14-6 less than five minutes into the contest. Wilson scored the next four points for the Huskies, cutting the EMU lead back to four, 14-10.

After the Eastern Michigan lead grew to nine, the Huskies scored five-straight, including a triple from Wilson, to cut the Eagle lead back to four, 20-16, with just under 11 minutes to play in the opening half.

Wilson went 9-of-12 from the field in the contest, including 5-of-7 from beyond the three-point line.

Eastern Michigan (16-14, 8-9 MAC) scored the next five as its lead went back to nine, 25-16, until another Wilson triple trimmed the lead back to six, 25-19. The Eagles lead was seven before Wilson knocked down another trifecta and senior Travon Baker (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Consortium) made a pair from the line to pull the Huskies within a pair, 31-29, with just under six minutes to play in the half.

NIU trailed by four before a 7-0 burst pushed the Huskies in front. The run opened with a lob from junior Michael Orris (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee/Kansas State) to senior Chuks Iroegbu (Sacramento, Calif./Franklin/City College of San Francisco) for a dunk, freshman Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) added a basket and Wilson connected on another three as NIU took a 40-37 lead with 2:05 left before the intermission.

Iroegbu finished with 12 points on 3-of-5 from the field, 6-of-8 from the free-throw line.

A pair of free throws from Wilson and two from the line by Iroegbu helped NIU take a 45-39 lead into the half.

Opening the second 20 minutes, the Huskie lead was still a half-dozen until back-to-back buckets from sophomore Andrew Zelis (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North/Kaskaskia College) pushed the Huskie advantage to 55-45 with 15:43 left. The NIU run continued courtesy of an old-fashioned three-point play from Iroegbu and a layup by Baker as the Huskies took a 60-45 lead, forcing a Eastern Michigan timeout.

A 14-1 run by Eastern Michigan cut the Huskie lead to just a pair, 61-59, with 7:27 remaining.

Freshman Laytwan Porter (Rockford, Ill./Auburn) made a pair of free throws to push the NIU lead to three, 64-61, but Eastern Michigan scored the next four to go back in front, 65-64, with under three minutes to play.

Eastern Michigan led by a pair, but a layup from junior Aaric Armstead (Chicago, Ill./La Jolla Prep) evened the contest, 68-68, with just under a minute left.

After the teams traded baskets, Tim Bond knocked down a triple, Eastern Michigan only one of the half, with 3.5 seconds to play. The Eagles made a pair of free throws in the final second to clinch the win.

Bond scored a team-high 17 points for Eastern Michigan; James Thompson IV added 16 points and 13 rebounds while Willie Magnum IV chipped in 14 points.

NIU will return home on Friday, March 4, when the Huskies host Ball State in the regular season finale. Note the 6 p.m., tip time for Friday’s contest, one hour earlier than previously scheduled, due to the game’s television selection by CBS Sports Network.