TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) tied his career high with 32 points, including 22 in the second half, and David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) added 19, as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team defeated Indiana State, 67-57, on the road on Thursday afternoon (Dec. 22) in its final non-conference game of the season. 

The Huskies led by as many as 14 in the second half but held off a late charge by the Sycamores to win at Indiana State for the first time since 1973. 

Williams went 13-of-20 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from three, and grabbed a career-best tying nine rebounds. Coit grabbed a career-best seven boards and the Huskies held Indiana State to just 35 percent (21-of-60) shooting, including 22.9 percent (8-of-35) from three-point range. 

"Everyone stepped up today," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "Obviously Keshawn (Williams) being Keshawn, he hit some ridiculous shots, but I thought everyone's minutes were productive. We had nine guys score, we shot a decent number, 44 (percent). But the key was the defensive end, a team as efficient as (Indiana State) shot 35 (percent from the field) and 22 (percent from three), so that is a tremendous accomplishment for us."

Indiana State scored the first six to open the contest before NIU answered with the next eight, capped by a baseline drive and jam from Williams. 

NIU was still in front by a pair until a 5-0 burst gave Indiana State a three-point advantage, 14-11. The Sycamores led 18-15 before a layup from Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Iowa Western CC) and two buckets from Williams off turnovers pushed the Huskies in front, 21-18, with 8:33 to play before the intermission. 

The Huskie run continued with another bucket from Williams and would grow to a 15-0 run through a bucket from Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J./Clarendon College), a triple from Coit and another basket by Williams as NIU took a 30-18 lead with just over four minutes to play before halftime. 

NIU held Indiana State scoreless for more than seven minutes during the stretch. 

Four-straight points from Indiana State were followed by five from Coit, giving the Huskies a 35-22 advantage, but the Sycamores finished the half with a 7-0 run to trim the NIU lead to a half dozen, 35-39, at the break. 

Coit had 13 and Williams netted 10 points in the opening half for the Huskies as NIU shot 51.6 percent (16-of-31) from the field. Courvoisier McCauley had 12 first half points to pace Indiana State. 

The first seven points of the second half went to the Huskies as Williams scored five and Coit netted a pair to help the NIU advantage grow to 42-29. 

Indiana State trimmed the lead back to nine until a pull-up jumper from Coit made it 50-39 Huskies with 12:11 left to play. 

Out of a timeout with one second on the shot clock, Williams beat the buzzer for the first of back-to-back baskets as NIU led 54-41 at the midway point of the second half. 

Williams knocked in two-straight trifectas, giving the Huskies a 60-46 lead, but Indiana State scored the next nine as they trimmed the NIU advantage to 60-55 with 1:29 left. 

As the game clock ticked under a minute, Williams hit an off-balance trifecta right in front of the Huskie bench to beat the shot clock and increase the NIU lead to eight. NIU went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the final moments as the Huskies snapped a four-game losing streak. 

McCauley scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Indiana State, Cooper Neese added 10 points for the Sycamores.

NIU will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Huskies begin Mid-American Conference play on the road at Akron. Game time against the Zips is slated for 6 p.m. CT.