DEKALB, Ill. – Senior Aaric Armstead (Chicago, Ill./La Jolla Prep) scored a game-high 21 points while senior Marin Maric (Split, Croatia/La Lumiere School) and sophomore Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) each added 14 as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team eased past Eastern Michigan, 81-69, on Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center. 

NIU (14-9, 6-4 MAC) shot 45.5 percent (25-of-55) in the contest, including 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from three, and also went 24-of-29 from the free-throw line (82.8 percent). The Huskie bench outscored the Eagle reserves, 33-19. 

"It was probably the closest we have come to playing 40 minutes this season," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "I thought we valued the basketball, at halftime we only had five turnovers. Our defense played well, we shared the ball, it was a big bounce-back win. Our guys could have been down after losing a game like Akron, but our guys were focused and it was fun to see them play two complete halves." 

Eastern Michigan (13-10, 5-5 MAC) jumped out to a seven-point lead early in the contest as back-to-back baskets by Ty Toney pushed the Eagles in front 14-7 just over five minutes into the game. 

Still trailing by seven, NIU used an 8-0 burst to takes its first lead of the day, 17-16, just before the midway point of the opening half. Sophomore Laytwan Porter (Rockford, Ill./Auburn) opened the burst with a triple, freshman Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) added an old-fashioned three-point play and Bradley canned as jumper as the Huskies moved in front by one. 

Porter scored seven points and dished out a team-high four assists. 

The Eagles answered right back to take a five-point lead, 26-21, just NIU responded with the next 13. 

Armstead started the NIU spurt with a layup, senior Dontel Highsmith (Dowagiac, Mich./Dowagiac) added a pair of free throws and Armstead buried a triple to move NIU in front. Three-straight baskets from Maric followed as the Huskies took a 34-26 lead with less than three minutes to play before the intermission. 

Maric finished with 11 rebounds to go along with his 14 points for his 20th career double-double. 

A pair of free throws from freshman Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) helped the Huskie lead reach nine, but the Eagles made two free throws of their own to close the first half as NIU took a 40-33 lead into the locker room. 

Eastern Michigan scored the first four point of the second stanza to trim the Huskie lead to three, but NIU had an answer, scoring the next half-dozen.

A dunk from Bradley, followed by two jumpers from Armstead, helped the NIU lead grow back to nine, 46-37, with 15:15 to play.

The Huskies led by seven before a 14-4 run expanded the NIU advantage to 17 with just over five minutes left. A triple from sophomore Austin Pauga (Naperville, Ill./IMG Academy) ignited the Huskie run and, following a basket by the Eagles, Armstead added a trifecta of his own as the lead hit 11. Another two-pointer from Eastern Michigan trimmed the lead back under double-digits but then Bradley and Maric each added four more points as NIU took a 70-53 lead.

Another triple from Bradley helped the NIU lead grow to 19, its largest of the night, and though Eastern Michigan used a late run to cut the Huskie advantage to a dozen, the result was never in doubt. 

Willie Magnum IV led the Eagles with 17 points, James Thompson IV and Ty Toney each added 12 points for Eastern Michigan.

NIU will play its final game against a MAC East foe on Tuesday night (Feb. 7) when the Huskies travel to Buffalo. Game time against the Bulls is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.