DEKALB, Ill. – Senior Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) spun into the lane and hit a pull-up jumper with 18 seconds remaining as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team earned its third consecutive victory with a 61-59 win over Ohio on Tuesday night (Jan. 28) at the NIU Convocation Center. 

McCarty's game-winner gave him a career-high 16 points, senior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) scored a team-high 18 and freshman Tyler Cochran (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. 
 
"I thought we made winning plays when in counted," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "Huge shot by Noah McCarty. Huge team stop on the other end. Hard fought. I always say it, and I'm going to keep saying it, every game seems like it is going to be decided by five or less points.

"Our defense is the staple, we held (Ohio) under 40 percent, under 30 (percent) from three, when you do that … it gives you a chance to win."

NIU (12-9, 5-3 MAC) led by seven with a little over four minutes to play before a 9-1 run gave Ohio a 57-56 lead with 2:19 left. 

After both teams came up empty on their next possession, McCarty buried a triple from a wing, off a dish from sophomore Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois), to push the Huskies back in front, 59-57, with 1:14 to go. 

A pair of free throws with 47 seconds on the clock brought Ohio back even at 59 before McCarty got at ball at the top of the key, drove to his right, spun back into the lane and drained a pull-up eight-footer with two seconds left on the shot clock, giving NIU a 61-59 lead. 

Following a timeout, NIU's defense got Ohio out of sync and a jumper at the buzzer wouldn't go as the Huskies earned their fourth-straight victory over the Bobcats. 

With the victory, Montgomery moved into a tie with Brian Hammel (1991-2000) for third on NIU's all-time wins list with 117. 

Ohio (10-11, 2-6 MAC) led 9-4 in the early going until a corner triple from McCarty and a basket by Beane pulled NIU even with 15:29 to play in the opening half. 

A 6-0 burst gave the Huskies their first lead of the contest, 15-14. German scored to open the run, followed by a layup from Cochran and a pair of free throws by junior Chris Johnson (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban College) that put NIU in front by one with 12:39 left before the intermission. 

Ohio had a three-point lead before a step-back three from German pulled the Huskies back even, 24-24. The Bobcats responded with the next five as to take a 29-24 lead with under four minutes remaining in the first half. 

Cochran scored the next three to bring the Huskies within a pair, but Ohio hit a triple to close the half as the Bobcats took a 32-27 lead into halftime. 

German led all scorers with 11 in the opening 20 minutes, McCarty added seven for the Huskies. Jason Preston scored eight to pace the Bobcats who made six triples in the first half. 

NIU opened the second half with an 11-2 run as the Huskies took a four-point lead just over four minutes into the half. German opened the second stanza with a triple and, after a bucket by the Bobcats, NIU used an 8-0 run to take a 38-34 lead. McCarty opened the run with a layup, Cochran added a pair of free throws before German and Cochran both finished at the rim on the break 

With the Huskies in front by a pair, NIU used a 7-0 burst to take a 50-41 lead. Senior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) ignited the run with a triple, sophomore Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) and Cochran each added baskets as NIU led by nine with 8:52 left to play. 

The NIU lead was seven when Ben Vander Plas converted an old-fashioned three-point play to cut the Huskie advantage to 55-51, sparking Ohio's 9-1 run to set up the game's final minutes. 

Vander Plas finished with a team-high 18 points for the Bobcats, Lunden McDay added 13 and Preston finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. 

NIU will close its three-game homestand on Saturday, Feb. 1, when the Huskies host Miami at 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Tickets for all remaining home games, including flex passes, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).