KENT, Ohio – Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) scored a career-high 17 points, along with four assists and four rebounds, as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team topped Kent State, 65-63, on Tuesday night (Jan. 11) at the M.A.C. Center. Chinedu Kingsley Okanu (Lynwood, Ill./Vincennes University) added a career-best 13 points, 10 of which came in the second half. 

NIU (4-8, 1-1 MAC) shot 48.9 percent (23-of-47) in the contest, including 52.2 percent (12-of-23) in the second half, and went 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from three-point range in the game. 

"We had a really good 48 hours (since Toledo), focusing in on ourselves and lifting the standards of the program," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "Understanding that anytime we go out we have to compete, that is the bare minimum. Guys took ownership, coaches took ownership, we went out and had two really good, spirited practices, and I think that is why we are sitting on the right side of this game. 

The Huskies led by seven before six-straight points from Kent State brought the Golden Flashes within one, 60-59, with 2:23 to play. Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) answered with a bucket and Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) made a free throw as the NIU advantage grew back to four with just under a minute left. 

Kent State (7-8, 2-3 MAC) cut the Huskie lead back to a pair before Hankerson made two free throws with 14 seconds left, giving NIU a 65-61 lead. The Golden Flashes scored again with less than two seconds to play but it wouldn't be enough as NIU picked up its third road win of the season. 

Hankerson finished with 14 points. Sincere Carry and Malique Jacobs each scored 16 points to pace the Golden Flashes. 

NIU held the lead in the early going until a 9-2 burst by the Golden Flashes gave Kent State a 12-6 advantage just past the five-minute mark of the opening half.

After the Kent State run reached 13-2, Okanu and Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio/Weber State) converted for the Huskies to bring NIU back within a half-dozen. 

Kent State was still in front by six when Thornton made a basket and Zool Kueth (Gallatin, Tenn./Pratt CC) knocked in a pair of free throws to bring the Huskies within a pair, 19-17, with 6:29 left before the intermission

A 7-2 spurt pushed the hosts in front by nine, but a layup from Hankerson and a corner trifecta from Thorton trimmed the Golden Flashes advantage back to 35-31. Following a pair of Kent State free throws, Hankerson ended the half with a triple to bring the Huskies within three, 37-34, at the break. 

Carry had 12 points to lead Kent State at the intermission, Hankerson scored 10 in the opening 20 minutes to pace NIU. The Huskies went 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) from three-point range in the first half while Kent State was 14-of-16 (87.5 percent) from the free-throw line. 

NIU scored the first six to start the second half as the Huskies took a 40-37 lead. Okanu opened the scoring and Thornton added the next four to push NIU to a three-point advantage early in the second stanza. Thornton went 7-of-8 from the field in the contest, including 3-of-4 from three. 

Kent State went back in front by one, 45-44, but a bucket from Chris Osten (Crowley, La./Arizona State) and a three from Hunter gave the Huskies a 49-45 lead with 11:15 left. After the Golden Flashes pulled even at 49, Thornton hit a corner triple and Okanu knocked down a free-throw line jumper to give the Huskies a 54-49 advantage with eight-and-a-half minutes to play. 

Eight-straight Huskie points from Okanu helped NIU push its lead to 60-53 with just under five minutes remaining, before Kent State scored the next six to set up the final minutes. 

NIU will return home to host Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 15 in a Huskie basketball doubleheader. The NIU women's team will host Toledo at 1 p.m. followed by the men's game against Eastern Michigan at 3:30 p.m. 

Huskie Flex Plans are now available for the 2021-22 basketball season. Purchase vouchers for $6 each and use them throughout the season to attend Huskie men's and women's basketball home games. Simply redeem vouchers for tickets at the box office prior to the game. Tickets can be purchased online at NIUHuskies.com/MyHuskies or by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).