CHARLESTON, Ill. – Five players scored in double figures as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team shot 61.7 percent (29-of-47) from the field, including 56 percent (14-of-25) from three-point range, in a 90-70 victory over Eastern Illinois on Wednesday night (Nov. 30) at Lantz Arena. 

Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) led the way with 17 points, Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J./Clarendon College) and David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) each scored 16 while Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Iowa Western CC) and Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio/Weber State) both chipped in 10 points. 

The Huskies led by six at the break but clamped down defensively after the intermission, holding the Panthers to 36.4 percent shooting (12-of-33) in the second half, including 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from three, on their way to the 20-point victory. 

"Our disposition to start the game wasn't what we needed, especially on the road," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "I didn't like how we came out, but to our guys credit, we went in with a halftime lead and came out in the first four minutes (of the second half) and played the right way."

With Eastern Illinois in front by three early, NIU used a 7-1 burst to take a three-point lead of its own, 13-10, with 13:51 to play in the opening half. 

After a basket by the Panthers, Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Fraschels, Switzerland/Ursping), seeing his first action of the season, scored the next five, including a triple from the top of the key, as NIU took an 18-12 lead. Eastern Illinois scored the next four to pull within a pair, but Thornton and Williams answered with triples as the Huskie advantage grew to eight, 24-16, just past the midway point of the opening stanza. 

Niederhauser finished with seven points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. Thornton and Coit each recorded five assists in the contest for the Huskies. 

The NIU lead was still eight after a triple from Coit, but Eastern Illinois scored the next seven to cut the Huskie advantage to 32-31 with 3:42 to play before the half. 

Eastern Illinois pulled even at 36 until NIU closed the half with a six-point burst on buckets from Niederhauser, Hunter and a put-back jam from Williams in the final seconds as the Huskies took a 42-36 lead into the break. 

Williams led all scorers with 12 first half points, Dan Luers scored nine to pace the Panthers. NIU shot 65.2 percent (15-of-23) in the first half, including 50 percent (8-of-16) from three. Eastern Illinois shot 61.5 percent (16-of-26) in the opening 20 minutes, including 3-of-6 from three-point range.

A bucket from Nutter and an old-fashioned three-point play from Williams to start the second half put the Huskies in front, 47-36. With NIU in front by a dozen, Coit knocked in a triple, the ninth of the contest for the Huskies, and Nutter finished at the rim to give NIU a 56-39 lead with 15:55 to go, forcing an Eastern Illinois timeout. 

Still in front by a dozen, Armandas Plintauskas (Kedainiai, Lithuania) made a pair from the line and Coit knocked in another triple to extend the Huskie advantage to 70-53 just past the midway point of the second half. 

Coit went 5-of-7 from three-point range in the contest. 

A corner triple from Hunter ignited a 10-0 Huskie run. Williams finished an alley-oop, Nutter converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Harvin Ibarguen (Cali, Colombia/Seward County CC) scored as NIU took an 84-59 lead and never looked back. 

Caleb Donaldson was the only player in double figures for Eastern Illinois, he scored 15 points and dished out six assists. 

Up next for the Huskies will be a trip to Moscow, Idaho to face Idaho on Friday, Dec. 2. Game time against the Vandals is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.