YPSILANTI, Mich. – Senior Dante Thorpe (Washington, D.C./Triton College) scored a team-high 13 points but the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team fell to Eastern Michigan, 57-49, on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 9) at the EMU Convocation Center. The Huskies led by three at halftime but shot just 30.4 percent (7-of-23) in the second half and committed 11 turnovers as the Eagles rallied for the victory. 

"We only had six turnovers at the halftime and we ended with 11 more and that's the game," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "They got off to a fast start (in the second half) and we are playing catch up. But we caught them, (Boubacar) Toure is at the line, he misses two but we didn't get the rebound and (Paul) Jackson was the difference in the game."

Eastern Michigan's first 12 points of the contest came from beyond the arc as the Eagles made four triples in the early going. A floater from Thorpe and a short corner jumper pushed NIU in front, 13-12, seven minutes into the contest. 

A 9-0 burst by the Eagles gave Eastern Michigan a 21-13 lead before a basket by junior Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) ended the cut and trimmed the Eagles advantage to a half-dozen with just under eight minutes to play in the opening half. 

The basket by McCarty started a 14-3 run to close the first half. Thorpe added a field goal and a pair of free throws, senior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) did the same, as NIU took a two-point lead, 23-21. 

McCarty finished with nine points, including 4-of-5 shooting from the field, with five rebounds. James had seven points and five rebounds in the contest. 

Following a free throw by the Eagles to stop the 10-0 Huskie run, freshman Austin Richie (Glenwood, Ill./Don Bosco Institute) made a jumper, the Eagles then scored their first basket in over eight minutes and McCarty capped the scoring in the half with a layup as NIU took a three-point lead, 27-24, into the intermission. 

Eastern Michigan (10-13, 4-6 MAC) scored eight of the first 10 points to open the second half as the Eagles took a three-point lead, 32-29, with 16:44 left in the contest. 

The Eagles were in front by five, 39-34, until a pair of free throws from James and an old-fashioned three-point play by Thorpe brought the Huskies even, 39-39, with 8:35 left. 

NIU (12-12, 5-6 MAC) and Eastern Michigan were still tied, 45-45, after the two teams traded baskets before the under four media timeout. 

After that timeout, the Eagles scored the next three to move in front. A pair of free throws by freshman Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) cut the EMU lead to just one with just under three minutes left. Following an Eastern Michigan triple, its only one of the second half, senior Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) made a basket to bring the Huskies within a pair, 51-49, but Eastern Michigan scored the final six points of the contest as the Eagles claimed the eight-point victory. 

Paul Jackson scored a game-high 23 points to lead Eastern Michigan, Elijah Minnie added 11 points for the Eagles. 

NIU will return to the State of Michigan on Tuesday, February 12, as the Huskies head to Kalamazoo to meet Western Michigan. Game time against the Broncos is slated for 6 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+.