DEKALB, Ill. – Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) scored a career-high 24 points as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team earned a 55-45 victory over Eastern Illinois on Wednesday night (Dec. 1) at the NIU Convocation Center. The Huskies held the Panthers to just 30 percent (15-of-50) shooting, including 25 percent (7-of-28) from the free-throw line. 

Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) added 15 points, including four three-pointers, while Chinedu Kingsley Okanu (Lynwood, Ill./Vincennes University) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. 

"Tonight, was one of those games that I would call good, bad and ugly," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "We didn't do what we wanted to do on the offensive end with regards to execution. Some of it had to do with early fouls, but we have to do a better job of having more ball movement and flow to our offense. On the defensive end, we pride ourselves on brining tough defense, we try to take teams out of what they want to do and I think we did a solid job on the defensive end."

Both teams were on target from deep in the early going as Eastern Illinois connected on a trio of triples and Hankerson made a pair for the Huskies as the contest was tied, 9-9, four minutes in. 

With the Panthers in front by one, 12-11, Williams scored the next four for NIU, igniting a 9-2 burst that saw the Huskies take a 20-14 lead with just over eight minutes left in the half. Hankerson added a trifecta and Williams made another bucket during the run. 

Eastern Illinois (1-7) trimmed the NIU advantage to three before Hankerson's fourth triple of the half pushed the lead back to a half-dozen with just under three minutes to play before the break. The Panthers scored the next four to pull within a pair, but two free throws by Zool Kueth (Gallatin, Tenn./Pratt CC) and Williams' sixth field goal of the half gave the Huskies a 29-23 lead at the half. 

Williams led all scorers with 13 in the opening 20 minutes, Hankerson added a dozen while Kashawn Charles and Jermaine Hamlin each had nine to pace Eastern Illinois. NIU held the Panthers to just 26.9 percent (7-of-26) shooting in the opening 20 minutes. 

After Eastern Illinois scored the first five of the second half to cut the Huskie advantage to 29-28, NIU responded with an 8-2 run as the Huskies went in front by seven. Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Iowa Western CC) opened the burst with a pair of free throws, Adong Makuoi (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada/Daytona State College) added back-to-back buckets and Kueth had a basket as the Huskies led 37-30 with 14 minutes to play. 

NIU (2-5) led by a half-dozen when Williams forced a turnover and converted with a dunk as the Huskies led 44-36 with 8:43 remaining. The sequence ignited a 9-0 Huskie run that gave NIU its largest lead of the night, 53-36, with a little over three minutes left.

The Huskies shot 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from the field in the second half while holding the Panthers to just 33.3 percent (8-of-24). 

Charles finished with 15 points to lead Eastern Illinois; Hamlin added 12 points. 

NIU will return to the road on Saturday, Dec. 4, as the Huskies travel to Dayton, Ohio to meet the Flyers. Tip time at Dayton is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+ and Bally Sports Ohio.