TOLEDO, Ohio – Returning to action for the first time in three weeks, the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team dropped a 94-63 decision to Toledo on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 18) at Savage Arena. Six players scored in double figures for the host Rockets while Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) netted a team-best 12 points and five rebounds for the Huskies. 

"Toledo is a really good team, they have very good, skilled players," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "We haven't had much practice time, we really only had one practice with this group (since the pause) and Toledo is better than us at this point, but I wanted a little more effort and a little more fight. We have a quick turnaround now (to Kent State) but we are facing the same thing as a lot of other programs during these COVID times."

Edward Manuel (Lake Charles, La./Navarro College) added a career-best 11 points for the Huskies, going a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. 

After a triple by Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) in the early going, Toledo used a six-point burst to take a 14-5 advantage. Adong Makuoi (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada/Dayton State) and Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio/Weber State) answered with buckets for the Huskies. 

Hankerson finished with seven points and a game-high five assists. 

Toledo (11-4, 3-1 MAC) continued to stay hot in the early going as the home team was 10-of-14 from the field in the opening 10 minutes, pushing its lead out to 24-9. 

NIU (3-8, 0-1 MAC) closed the half on an 11-4 run as Manuel knocked in a pair of triples and made a pair of free throws. Zion Russell (Upper Marlboro, Md./National Christian Academy) also made a trifecta from the corner to cut the Toledo advantage to 47-28 at the break. 

The Rockets shot 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the field in the opening half and went 9-of-11 from the free throw line. RayJ Dennis and Setric Millner Jr. each had 12 points to lead Toledo in the first half, Manuel scored eight first half points to pace the Huskies. 

Thornton netted all 12 of his points in the second half while Ryan Rollins and Mihai Carcoana each scored 11 in the second half to lead the way for Toledo. 

The Rockets shot 50 percent (16-of-32) from the field in the second stanza, finishing the game shooting 55 percent (33-of-60). 

Setric Millner Jr. and RayJ Dennis each scored 16 points to lead the way for Toledo, Rollins added 15 points, Ra'Heim Moss chipped in 12 while JT Shumate and Carcoana each scored 11 points for the Rockets. 

NIU will be back in action on Tuesday night, Jan. 11, when the Huskies visit Kent State. Game time against the Golden Flashes is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3.