DEKALB, Ill. -- A 17-2 run midway through the second half helped lead Bowling Green to a 68-42 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team on Saturday evening (Jan. 2) at the NIU Convocation Center. The Falcons led by just three before the burst helped the Mid-American Conference preseason favorite pull away for good. 

Junior Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois) scored a team-high 13 points while sophomore Tyler Cochran (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) had 11 points and a team-best seven rebounds. 

"We came out with great fight, it was a good first half, we had the tempo how we wanted it. Our defense was very good in the first half," said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. "It was a game of runs, it hurt us when Tyler Cochran hurt his hamstring late in the first half, our guys came out fighting but we are still searching for some perimeter shots to go in.

"It was a tale of two halves, we played well in the first half, but (Bowling Green) shot 60 percent in the second half and we have too many turnovers. For 25 minutes our guys really fought and gave us a chance, but BG went on a couple big runs that we just couldn't answer."

Beane scored five points in the opening four minutes of the contest as NIU had an early 6-5 advantage. After Bowling Green went in front, Cochran scored the next five for the Huskies to give NIU an 11-7 lead with 13:29 to play in the opening half. 

Six straight points by Bowling Green gave the Falcons a two-point lead, 13-11, until Cochran had a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup to pull the Huskies back even. 

Bowling Green had moved in front by three went the Falcons used a 5-0 burst to take a 23-16 lead late in the first half. Cochran made the final bucket of the half as Bowling Green took a 23-18 lead into the intermission. 

Cochran had nine points and seven rebounds to lead the way in the opening 20 minutes. Daeqwon Plowden had seven points to pace the Falcons in the first half. 

With Bowling Green in front by three, 28-25, four minutes into the second half. The Falcons used a run 17-2 run to take a 45-27 lead just past the midway point of the second stanza.  

After being held to just 37 percent (10-of-37) shooting in the first half, Bowling Green shot 60 percent (18-of-3) after the intermission. 

Justin Turner scored a game-high 20 points, 16 of which came in the second half, to lead the way for Bowling Green. Plowden added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds, Trey Diggs scored 11 points and Caleb Fields chipped in 10 points for the Falcons. 

NIU will head on the road for its next two games, beginning on Tuesday, January 5, when the Huskies visit Ohio. Game time against the Bobcats is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.