ATHENS, Ohio – A 17-2 first half run helped Ohio claim a 74-62 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team on Tuesday night (Jan. 25) at the Ohio Convocation Center. Mark Sears led the way for the Bobcats with 26 points. 

Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) scored 12 to pace the Huskies while Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Iowa Western CC) added 10 points. 

"We learned from the Toledo game, we are always going to compete and give it our all," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "It may not always be the result that we want but we aren't going to lose for a lack of trying and toughness. Ohio is one of the best teams in the league, their record proves it, good fan base, good crowd, well coached team with good players. 

"We dug a hole, we reverted to some bad habits, and we have to correct that, but these guys are competitors and I'm proud of these guys. It could have gotten ugly, but we outscored them in the second half by seven to make it respectable."

Baskets by Chinedu Kingsley Okanu (Lynwood, Ill./Vincennes University) and Williams gave NIU a 9-6 lead seven minutes into the contest, but Ohio answered with the next six to move in front by three. 

A pair of free throws from Zool Kueth (Gallatin, Tenn./Pratt CC), a free throw by Okanu and a bucket from Williams moved the Huskies back in front by a pair, 14-12, just before the midway point of the half. 

Ohio used a 17-2 run to take a 29-16 lead with 5:40 left in the half. The Bobcats made a pair of triples and seven free throws during the burst. 

The Bobcats closed the half by scoring 10 of the last 12 points to take a 41-22 advantage into the break. Sears scored 13 points in the opening 20 minutes to lead Ohio while Williams had eight to pace the Huskies. The Bobcats went 11-of-14 (78.6 percent) from the free-throw line in the first half. 

In the second half, the Huskies outscored the Bobcats by seven, 40-33, as NIU shot 48.5 percent (16-of-33) from the floor while holding Ohio to just 35.5 percent (11-of-31) shooting. 

NIU limited Ohio to just four points over the final seven-and-a-half minutes of the contest.

Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) and Zion Russell (Upper Marlboro, Md./National Christian Academy) each finished with eight points while Anthony Crump (Inkster, Mich./Middle Tennessee) grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. 

Ben Vander Plas scored 15 points to join Sears in double figures for the Bobcats. 

NIU will return home on Thursday night, Jan. 27, when the Huskies host Ball State in a game rescheduled from Dec. 29. Tickets for the originally scheduled date are still good for Thursday's contest, which is scheduled to tip at 7 p.m. 

Tickets for all Huskie home games are still on sale, including Huskie Flex Plans. 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).