DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team earned its sixth-straight victory as the Huskies downed Oakland, 74-50, on Monday night (Nov. 25) at the NIU Convocation Center. Senior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) scored a game-high 21 points while sophomore Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) added a career-best 14. 

NIU (6-2) held the Golden Grizzlies to just 18.2 percent (4-of-22) shooting from the field in the second half. Oakland made 15 field goals overall in the contest while NIU made 13 triples. 

"I'm proud of my guys," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "Anytime you play that many games in that number of days and find a way to play your best defense in the second half, I thought it was probably the best defense of the season, for a half. We shared the basketball; we shot a high percentage and once we figured out how to keep (Oakland's) big guys off the boards … It was fun to watch. I like the direction this team is heading in." 

The Huskies finished a stretch of six games in 11 days, earning victories in all six contests to extend NIU's longest winning streak since the 2015-16 season. 

With Oakland in front by a pair, 10-8, five minutes into the contest, NIU went on a 10-2 run, taking a 18-12 lead. Junior Nathan Scott (Naperville, Ill./Olney Central College) opened the burst with a triple, Hankerson and senior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) added baskets and, after a pair of Oakland free throws, junior Zaire Mateen (Queens, N.Y./Laramie Country Community College) knocked in a trifecta as the Huskies led by a half-dozen with 11:43 left in the half. 

James finished with a game-high 13 rebounds. 

The NIU lead was seven after Mateen's second triple of the night before the Golden Grizzlies used a 10-2 burst to take a 24-23 lead with just over five minutes to play in the opening half. 

Oakland's lead was two when Hankerson knocked in NIU's sixth triple of the half, fueling a six-point burst for the Huskies. 

A basket by Oakland trimmed the NIU lead to a pair before German canned the seventh triple of the half for the Huskies as they took a 34-29 lead into the intermission. 

NIU shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from three-point range. Oakland was 11-of-28 (39.3 percent) from the field in the first half, including 2-of-11 (18.2 percent) from three. 

Oakland (4-3) scored first to start the second half, trimming the NIU lead to three, but German rattled off the next seven, giving the Huskies a 41-31 lead just over three minutes into the second stanza. 

German's seven points started a 16-1 run by the Huskies who took a 50-32 lead with 11:54 left. Sophomore Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois) scored NIU's next four, German added a bucket and James knocked in a triple to give the Huskies an 18-point lead.

The Huskie advantage was still 18 when a 10-2 burst put the game out of reach. Hankerson opened the run with a trifecta before senior Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) added a bucket. Following a basket by the Golden Grizzlies, German scored a pair and Hankerson connected on his fourth triple in five attempts as the Huskie lead grew to 68-42 with 4:16 left. 

Hankerson also finished with a game-high four assists as the Huskies dished out 15 assists on 30 made field goals. 

NIU held Oakland without a field goal for over 10 minutes early in the second half and the Huskies shot 51.5 percent (17-of-33) after the intermission, including 50 percent (6-of-12) from three-point range, as they cruised to the 24-point victory. 

Daniel Oladapo and Xavier Hill-Mais each scored 13 points to pace Oakland, Tray Maddox Jr. added 11 points off the bench. 

The Huskies will be off for the next nine days before heading to California for a two-game swing beginning on Thursday, December 5, when the Huskies visit Saint Mary's. Tipoff against the Gaels is slated for 9 p.m. CT.