DEKALB, Ill. – With the contest tied with two minutes to play, Central Michigan used a 7-0 burst to claim a 69-63 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 29, at the NIU Convocation Center. Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom) scored a game-high 20 points to lead the way for the Huskies, his sixth 20-plus point game of the season. Anthony Crump (Inkster, Mich./Middle Tennessee) added 10 points. 

"It's a disappointing loss," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "We are in a tough stretch, four games in eight days, and mentally our guys are fatigued. We didn't come out the right way and found ourselves down five at halftime, we didn't execute in the first half particularly well, we didn't shoot well. When you do that against a zone you give (the opponent) life and allow them to play at the pace they want to play.

"That our hats off to (Central Michigan), they executed their game plan, we didn't, but we scrapped back in the second half. We are putting ourselves in position to win games, we just aren't executing and pushing through."

With just under eight minutes to play, NIU used a 14-2 run to erase a 12-point deficit and pull even at 57 with 3:49 left. Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) ignited the burst with a triple, Chinedu Kingsley Okanu (Lynwood, Ill./Vincennes University) added a free throw and Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio/Weber State) converted an old-fashioned three-point play to bring the Huskies within five. 

A basket by Central Michigan pushed the lead back to seven before three points from Williams and four from Crump tied the game with just under four minutes left. 

NIU and Central Michigan twice traded baskets as the game remained tied, 61 apiece, as the clock ticked under two minutes left. 

Central Michigan scored to take a two-point lead and then the Chippewas got a stop and a three-pointer as the visitors' lead reached five, 66-61, with a minute left. After another defensive stop for CMU, the Chippewas added another layup to put the game out of reach. 

Ralph Bissainthe finished with 17 points and nine rebounds to lead Central Michigan, Harrison Henderson added 16 points, Kevin Miller finished with 14 points and seven assists while Cameron Healy chipped in 11 points. 

NIU raced out to a 9-2 lead in the opening three minutes of the contest, but Central Michigan answered right back with an 11-3 burst to take a one-point lead just three minutes later. 

Neither team led by more than four points for the rest of the first half until the final minute when CMU edged its way to a five-point lead, 33-28, that it would take into halftime. 

Williams scored a team-high 10 points in the opening 20 minutes. Bissainthe netted nine points for Central Michigan in the first half as the Chippewas shot 50 percent (4-of-8) from the field, NIU was just 1-of-8 on its first half three-point attempts. 

The CMU lead grew to seven early in the second half until five-straight points by Williams cut the Central Michigan advantage to just a pair, 39-37, with just over 15 minutes to play. 

In front by four, the Chippewas used a 10-2 run to build a 12-point lead midway through the second half. CMU was still in front by 12 after a dunk by Bissainthe with eight minutes left, setting the stage for NIU's comeback attempt that fell just short. 

NIU will head back on the road for its next two games, beginning with a trip to Kalamazoo on Tuesday, Feb. 1, to face Western Michigan. The Huskies return home on Tuesday, Feb. 8, when they host Akron. 

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).