DEKALB, Ill. – Four players scored in double figures, led by a career-high 28 points from junior Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI), as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team defeated Green Bay, 85-65, on Tuesday night in the season opener at the NIU Convocation Center. 

Sophomore Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) added 21 points, junior Dante Thorpe (Washington, D.C./Triton College) chipped in 14 and junior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Wayland Union/Rider) added a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. The Huskies shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the field in the contest. 

 "I thought we came out strong in the first half," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "We were in good rhythm, the ball was moving and we had multiple players scoring the basketball. I thought we played hard, our guys came out with great energy … We were a little nervous at times, but after we withstood the second half run by Green Bay we settled back down, got the ball inside, and got back going."

NIU (1-0) jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead and extended that advantage to 11-3 inside the opening six minutes of the contest; German had seven of the first 11 to fuel the Huskie offense early. 

Green Bay answered with the next nine on three-straight triples, taking a one-point lead, 12-11. The Phoenix increased their advantage to five, 17-12, but the Huskies answered with a 12-0 run. Thorpe ignited the burst by the Huskies with a trifecta, Thomas added a triple and Thorpe then scored the next six as NIU moved back in front, 24-17, with just over eight minutes to play before the intermission. 

With the Huskies in front by eight, 35-27, NIU used a 7-0 run to take a 15-point lead. German had a pair of baskets during the run, Bradley added a bucket and sophomore Justin Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) added a free-throw. Green Bay made a pair of free throws in the final second of the half as NIU took a 42-29 lead into the break. 

German led all scorers with 16 points at the intermission on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. 

Green Bay (0-1) came out of halftime with a 13-4 run as the Phoenix trimmed the NIU lead to just four, 46-42. Thorpe held off the Green Bay run with an old-fashioned three-point play and a jumper as the NIU advantage grew back to nine. 

The Phoenix wouldn't go away as they responded with seven-straight points to get within a pair, 51-49, with 11:42 left, but James and Bradley combined to score the next eight as the Huskies pushed their lead back to double-digits with 9:24 to play. 

A triple with 8:34 for Green Bay brought the Phoenix within eight, but it was the last field goal Green Bay would make until the final two minutes of the contest as the Huskie advantage grew to as much as 22. 

Bradley scored 22 of his 28 points in the second half, James had all 10 of his points after the intermission as the Huskies shot 56 percent (14-of-25) from the field in the second 20 minutes. 

Khalil Small led Green Bay with 13 points and 10 rebounds; Trevian Bell added 12 points while T.J. Parham and Manny Patterson each had 11 points. 

NIU will be back in action again on Thursday night, Nov. 16, as the Huskies host St. Francis (Ill.) in the makeup game from last Friday's (Nov. 10) postponement. Game time against the Fighting Saints is slated for 7 p.m.