OXFORD, Ohio – Five players scored in double figures but the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team dropped a one-possession game at Miami (Ohio), 69-67, on Tuesday night at Millett Hall in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams. 

Senior Aaric Armstead (Chicago, Ill./La Jolla Prep) and freshman Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) each scored 13 points, sophomore Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) scored 11 points with a career-best 14 rebounds while senior Marin Maric (Split, Croatia/La Lumiere School) and senior Dontel Highsmith (Dowagiac, Mich./Dowagiac) each chipped in 10 points. 

NIU (8-6, 0-1 MAC) overcame a 32-24 deficit at halftime as the Huskies shot 51.5 percent (17-of-33) from the field in the second 20 minutes, but came up empty in their final two possessions as they fell by two to the RedHawks. 

"I liked how we came out in the second half to get back into the game," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "I thought we took care of the ball a lot better in the second half. (Miami's) changing defenses bothered us in the first half. I liked the fight in the second half, disappointed with the result, you just have to find a way to win that game down the stretch."

Trailing by eight at the break, NIU scored the first five out of the half as Armstead converted an old-fashioned three-point play and freshman Justin Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) added a layup to cut the Miami lead back to just three, 32-29. The RedHawks pushed their lead back to a half-dozen before five-straight from Highsmith brought the Huskies within one, 40-39, forcing a Miami timeout. 

The RedHawk lead went back to five until an 8-2 burst pushed the Huskies in front, 49-48, with just over 12 minutes to play. 

NIU and Miami traded the lead into the final four minutes when a tip-in from Armstead evened the contest, 61-61. 

Miami (8-6, 1-0 MAC) scored the next five as the RedHawks took a 66-61 lead into the final 70 seconds. Bradley split a pair of free throws to trim the Miami lead to four and Armstead buried a corner triple to get the Huskies within one with 21 seconds to play. 

The two teams then traded free throws as Miami's lead stayed at one, 68-67, with 12 seconds left. After Miami split a pair of free throws, the Huskies came up empty on a triple try and were forced to foul again. The RedHawks then missed two more free throws, giving NIU a chance to race the length of the floor with four seconds left, but the Huskie buzzer-beater was no good as the RedHawks took the conference opener. 

Abdoulaye Harouna scored a game-high 18 points to lead Miami; Rod Mills added 15, Logan McLane chipped in 14 points and Michael Weathers had 11 points for the RedHawks. 

Already leading by one, Miami used a five-point burst to take a 10-4 lead six minutes into the contest. Miami's advantage ballooned to seven on a triple with 9:16 to play in the half until back-to-back layups from German and a pair of free throws from Highsmith pulled the Huskies back within one, 19-18, with 7:45 to play in the half. 

A tip-in by Bradley with 5:23 left in the opening half brought the Huskies even, 21-21, but Miami responded with the next five. 

A turnaround jumper from Bradley cut the Miami advantage back to three but the RedHawks closed the half on a 6-1 run, taking a 32-24 lead into the intermission. 

The Huskies will return home on Saturday, Jan. 7, as they host Central Michigan at the NIU Convocation Center in their MAC home opener. Game time against the Chippewas is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and will be the second half of a doubleheader with the NIU women's basketball team taking the floor at 1 p.m.