DEKALB, Ill. – Senior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) became the first player in Northern Illinois University men's basketball history to reach 2,000 career points as his 21 helped lead the Huskies to their fourth consecutive victory, 70-55, over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 1) at the NIU Convocation Center. 

German, who entered the contest 17 points behind T.J. Lux (1995-2000; 1,996 points) for the school scoring record, broke the mark with a driving layup through contact with 6:39 left to play, giving the Huskies an 18-point lead. The Gary, Ind., native's 21 points in the contest gives him exactly 2,000 in his career, he also finished with a season-high tying six assists. 

Sophomore Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois) added 13 points and senior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) recorded his ninth career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Huskies led by three at the half before using a big run to build a lead as large as 19 while racing away from the RedHawks. 

"It is a blessing," said German of the record. "So much hard work over these past years. I couldn't do it without my teammates and my coaches, it is just a blessing and without God I wouldn't be able to achieve this goal. I want to give a huge shout out to Coach Monty for staying on me, believing in me, bringing me here, it is just a blessing."

NIU (13-9, 6-3 MAC) had a three-point lead early in the second half before a 7-2 mini-run helped the Huskies extend the lead to eight. German started the run with a bucket, senior Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) added a basket and James connected on a triple from wing as the Huskies led 37-29 with 16:16 to play. 

Miami (9-12, 2-6 MAC) trimmed the lead back to just a pair before the Huskies went on a 19-5 run. 

German opened the run with a basket, Beane added a triple and German scored the next five as the Huskies led 47-35. The RedHawks cut the Huskie lead back to 10 before junior Zaire Mateen (Queens, N.Y./Laramie County CC) converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Beane connected on another from distance to give NIU a 56-40 lead with a little under eight minutes to go. 

Mateen finished with eight points and five rebounds. 

German then added the record-breaking basket as the Huskie lead reached 18 and he knocked in a corner triple to reach 2,000 career points and give NIU its largest lead of the night, 63-44, with 5:03 to play. 

Miami cut the Huskie lead back to 13, but the result was never in doubt in the final minutes as NIU claimed its fourth-straight win. 

Nike Sibande scored a team-high 13 points for the RedHawks, Dae Dae Grant and Milos Jovic each added 11. 

"It was a special double tonight," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "The Huskies score 70, Eugene German breaks the all-time scoring record, gets to 2,000 points, and everything else is kind of normal. Unbelievable defense, everybody knows it is going to be a slugfest, Miami is a good team. We held them under 40 (field goal percentage), under 30 (three-point percentage), that is a big goal."

Leading by a pair in the early going, NIU used a 5-0 burst to take a 12-5 lead with just over 13 minutes to play in the opening half. Junior Chris Johnson (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban College) made a free throw to open the spurt, German and junior Gairges Daow (Melbourne, Australia/Victory Rock Academy) each added layups as the Huskies took a seven-point lead. 

An 8-0 Miami run, including a pair of triples, helped the RedHawks pull in front by a pair, 16-14, with 9:23 left in the half.  

NIU regained the lead as Beane converted an old-fashioned three-point play and James made a basket, giving the Huskies a 19-16 advantage with 7:33 remaining in the opening half. 

Miami was within one with two minutes left in the opening half until a 7-3 burst put the Huskies in front by five. Beane made a layup to open the run, McCarty added an up-and-under layup and, after a Miami triple, Mateen knocked in a trifecta off a feed from sophomore Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) as the Huskies took a 28-23 lead. 

The RedHawks scored the final two points of the opening 20 minutes to trim the Huskie advantage to three, 28-25, at the break. 

NIU held Miami to just 29 percent (9-of-31) shooting in the first half and 34.5 percent (20-of-58) for the game, including 26.9 percent (7-of-26) from three. 

The Huskies will return to action on Tuesday night, February 4, at Toledo. NIU will return home to DeKalb on Friday, February 7, when the Huskies host Kent State at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.