DEKALB, Ill. – Five players scored in double figures as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team coasted to a 105-53 victory over Rockford University on Sunday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center. 

Sophomore Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) scored a game-high 16 points, junior Anastasios Demogerontas (Orland Park, Ill./Moraine Valley CC) had 15, junior Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) and sophomore Justin Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) each chipped in 11 and freshman Rod Henry-Hayes (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) added 10 points, along with a game-high five assists and no turnovers. 

"I challenged our guys to outrebound (Rockford), get 20 assists, share the ball, defend without fouling and not play the scoreboard," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "I thought our guys pretty much took care of business. You never know after you have played three games in three-straight days, we needed a game like this to get some other guys going … Hopefully this momentum will carry forward."

In addition to the five double-figure scorers, NIU also had five more players score at least six points, including Dante Thorpe (Washington, D.C./Triton College) who scored eight points with five rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals. Freshman Owen Hamilton (Prescott, Wis./Prescott) had eight points and a game-high eight rebounds. 

NIU (4-2) shot 55.7 percent (39-of-70) from the field in the contest and 71.4 percent (20-of-28) from the free-throw line while holding Rockford to just 32.9 percent (23-of-70) shooting. NIU outrebounded Rockford, 51-33, and had 16 offensive rebounds that were converted into 23 second chance points. NIU also forced 20 turnovers, which it turned into 22 points. 

The Huskies held Rockford scoreless for more than six minutes to open the contest while building a 17-point advantage. Thomas, Bradley and German each had five points in the opening six minutes to help the Huskies out to the early lead. 

NIU led by 27 at the half as the Huskies took a 48-21 advantage into the intermission. German scored 14 of his 16 points in the opening 20 minutes of the contest and the Huskies shot 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from behind the three-point line in the opening stanza. 

The bench fueled the NIU offense in the second half, scoring 39 of NIU's 57 points after the break. Demogerontas scored 10 of his 15 points after the interval while Henry-Hayes and Hamilton each scored eight points in the second half. 

Rockford was led by 13 points and seven rebounds from Taylor Krocker. 

NIU will be at home again on Wednesday night, Nov. 29, as it hosts Milwaukee at 8:30 p.m., in the second half of a doubleheader. The NIU women's basketball team will tip-off the doubleheader at 6 p.m. Tickets for all Huskie basketball home games are on sale now through the NIU Athletics Ticket Office in the Convocation Center, by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) or online at NIUHuskies.com. Reserved lower bowl seats are just $10 while general admission is available for $8.