JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Four Huskies scored in double figures, but a first-half scoring drought combined with a strong shooting performance by the Boston University Terriers led to a 76-58 loss for the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team in the Jacksonville Classic, played at the UNF Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
Sophomore Keshawn Williams scored 13 points and senior Kingsley Okanu matched his career high with 12, including 10 in the second half, to lead NIU. Senior Trendon Hankerson and junior Darweshi Hunter each added 10 points. Hankerson's four rebounds led NIU while junior Kaleb Thornton had four of the Huskies' nine assists.
 
"We have to figure out ways to score when the other teams go on a run," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "We were even in the paint (points), we won the second chance points, the difference was they got 27 points from the three-point line. The good thing is we had nine assists, we turned the ball over 11 times – some of those on moving screens - so this is a process. We got a little better offensively, but we still have a long way to go." 
 
NIU (1-3), took a 17-13 lead on a Williams three-pointer at the 9:18 mark of the second half, but the Terriers reeled off 17 straight points over the next 7:56 with Hankerson's three at 1:16 breaking the drought and pulling NIU back within 10 points at 30-20. Nevin Zink and Javante McCoy spurred the Terriers' run and led BU in scoring for the half with seven and 10 points, respectively After the teams traded baskets, the first half ended with BU holding that 10-point advantage, 32-22.  
 
"In the first half they were 4-for-9 from three [in the first half]," Burno said. "We were down 10 points, and they were plus 12 from the three-point line. We had two three-minute segments when we didn't score. We had some good looks, but this is still a learning process."
 
The Terriers (3-2) shot 42.9 percent from the field in the half (12-28) while the Huskies made 9-of-25 field goals and were 4-of-10 from three.
 
NIU scored the first four points of the second half and twice cut the lead to six in the first three minutes of the period, the last time on a Thornton driving layup at the 17:42 mark. At that point, Boston scored eight straight points on a pair of threes and a Zink field goal to lead by 14, 42-28, with 14:41 to play.
 
The Huskies would cut the deficit to single digits just once more as a pair of Hunter free throws with 8:16 remaining trimmed the BU lead to 48-39.  But Boston scored the next five points and NIU could get no closer than 10 the rest of the way.
 
"We've got to find the right rhythm of guys in and out of the offense," Burno said. :We have to figure out how to get guys going and we have to figure out the best shooters that are going to compete down the stretch. This is about us. We have to figure out how we can get stops and be able to put the ball in the hole."
 
The Terriers made 15-of-20 field goals in the second half, shot 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from three and made all 10 of their free throws – and were 13-of-13 from the free throw line in the game.  NIU shot nearly 40 percent in the second half (11-of-28) and finished the game with a 37.7 percent mark.
 
After both teams started slowly, with the score tied 2-2 at the first media timeout, NIU opened a 14-7 lead for its largest lead of the game with 12:11 on the clock in the first half. 

NIU will take on Little Rock in both teams' tournament finale on Monday. The game tips off at 11 a.m. (ET)/10 a.m. (CT) from the UNF Arena.
 
Following a road game at Marquette on November 27, the Huskies will play their first regular season home game of 2021-22 on Wednesday, December 1 versus Eastern Illinois. A season ticket to see all 12 regular season home games begins at just $80 and is available to purchase online anytime at NIUHuskies.com or Monday through Friday by calling 815-753-7225.
 
-- NIU --