DEKALB, Ill. – Buffalo led by three at halftime but outscored the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team, 59-34, in the second half to claim a 95-67 win over the Huskies on Tuesday night at Alumni Arena. 

The Bulls shot 63.9 percent (23-of-36) in the second 20 minutes, including 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from three. Buffalo forced 18 turnovers in the contest, converting them into 25 points. NIU forced just eight Buffalo turnovers, converting them into eight points. 

Sophomore Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Huskies, junior Dante Thorpe (Washington, D.C./Triton College) added 14 points while junior Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) scored 10 points. 

In the early going, Buffalo held a four-point lead, 10-6, until back-to-back buckets from Bradley brought the Huskies back even. The Bulls went back in front with a layup but NIU answered with a triple from sophomore Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) as the Huskies took a 13-12 lead with just over 13 minutes to play in the opening half. 

With the Huskies in front by one, sophomore Justin Thomas (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) converted an old-fashioned three-point lead to push the NIU lead to 20-16 just past the midway point of the half. 

A pair of free throws from junior Anastasios Demogerontas (Orland Park, Ill./Moraine Valley CC) gave NIU a 24-22 lead but Buffalo scored seven of the next nine to take a three-point lead, 29-26. 

A triple by Thorpe and a pair of free throws from junior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) moved NIU back in front, 31-29, before the Bulls closed the half with a 7-2 run to take a 36-33 lead into the intermission. 

Thorpe led the Huskies with nine points in the first half, C.J. Massinburg and Jeremy Harris each had nine to lead the way for Buffalo. 

A layup from German trimmed the Buffalo lead to just a pair in the opening minutes of the second half but Buffalo answered with the next eight to take a 53-43 lead with 14:22 to play. 

The Bulls made five of their first seven three-point attempts in the second half as the Bulls lead grew to 69-54 with just under nine minutes left. 

Buffalo's lead was 14, 76-62, with a little less than five minutes to play before the Bulls closed the game with a 19-5 run. 

Nick Perkins led Buffalo with 26 points off the bench, 16 of which came after halftime. Massinburg finished with 16 points while Jayvon Graves added 12 and Harris finished with 11. 

NIU will be back on the road on Saturday, Jan. 20, as the Huskies travel to Akron. Game time against the Zips is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3.