TOLEDO, Ohio – Senior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) scored a game-high 25 points as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team picked up its fifth consecutive victory, downing Toledo, 66-61, on Tuesday night (Feb. 4) at Savage Arena. Sophomore Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois) added 11 points and senior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) added eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds. 

NIU (14-9, 7-3) held Toledo to just 41.7 percent (20-of-48) shooting from the field while the Huskies shot 47.1 percent (24-of-51) as, for the sixth consecutive season, the Huskies and Rockets played a game decided by five points or less at Savage Arena. 

Beane scored the opening basket of the game before Toledo answered with the next seven to take an early five-point lead

Toledo (11-12, 3-7 MAC) was in front by a half-dozen before a 7-2 spurt for the Huskies brought NIU within one. German opened the burst with an old-fashioned three-point play and junior Gairges Daow (Melbourne, Australia/Victory Rock Academy) added NIU's next four as NIU trimmed the Rockets lead to 16-15 with 8:48 to play in the half. 

After a bucket by Toledo, sophomore Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) pulled the Huskies even at 18 with a triple from the wing off a feed from senior Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman). 

A deep triple from German gave the Huskies a 25-21 lead, but Toledo answered with the next five to go back in front by one with a little over four minutes to play before the intermission.  

NIU closed the half with a 7-0 run as buckets from junior Zaire Mateen (Queens, N.Y./Laramie County CC), Beane and German, along with a free throw by Beane, gave the Huskies a 32-26 lead at the break. 

Back-to-back triples pulled Toledo even with the Huskies, 37-37, with 17:26 left as the Huskies called an early second half timeout. The Rockets extended their run to seven, taking a two-point lead until James converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the lead back to NIU, 40-39, with 15:39 left. 

In front by one, German hit a triple to ignite a 7-0 Huskie burst as Mateen scored the next four to give NIU a 49-41 lead just past the midway point of the second half. 

Toledo came all the way back to even on a triple with 5:12 left, but NIU answered with back-to-back threes from McCarty and German as NIU led 58-52 with a little over four minutes to go. 

The Rockets trimmed the Huskie lead to a pair before German scored five-straight, giving NIU a 64-58 lead with 21 seconds remaining. After a Toledo triple brought the Rockets within three, Beane converted a pair at the line with eight seconds left to give the Huskies the victory. 

Willie Jackson and Luke Knapke each scored 15 to lead Toledo, Marreon Jackson added 14 points and Spencer Littleson chipped in 12 for the Rockets. 

NIU will return home on Friday night, February 7, when the Huskies host Kent State at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Note the date change from the originally scheduled Saturday due to selection by national television. Tickets for Friday's contest, and all remaining home games, including flex passes, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).