DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team was within three in the final minute, but Akron made just enough plays to hold off the Huskie comeback attempt as the Zips claimed a 70-64 victory on Tuesday night (Feb. 8) at the NIU Convocation Center. 

Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) scored a team-high 19 points while Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) added 14 and Anthony Crump (Inkster, Mich./Middle Tennessee) chipped in 11. Enrique Freeman paced Akron with 21 points and 13 rebounds. 

"I thought this game could (be close) down the stretch and I wanted to have us in a position to make plays and have a chance to win the game," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "We executed that game plan, but the thing that but us was fouling, the (free throw) discrepancy was 26 to 15, everything else was dead even. We will watch the film, but we are giving ourselves a chance to win games, we just have to finish."

Both teams were efficient offensively in the opening 20 minutes as both the Huskies and Zips shot better than 50 percent from the field in the first half. 

In front by one, 12-11, Akron (16-6, 9-3 MAC) used a 7-0 burst to take an eight-point advantage, its largest of the contest, just before the midway point of the opening half. 

Hankerson answered with a triple from Zion Russell (Upper Marlboro, Md./National Christian Academy) and, after a pair of Zips free throws, Williams connected on a three and made a pair of free throws to trim the visitors lead back to just a pair, 21-19.

With three minutes to play in the half, Akron pushed its lead back to seven but another trifecta from Hankerson, off an assist from Chinedu Kingsley Okanu (Lynwood, Ill./Vincennes University), and a bucket from Williams helped the Huskies close to within two at the break, 35-33. 

Williams paced NIU with 11 points in the opening half, Hankerson added eight points and four assists. Freeman scored a dozen points in the first half for the Zips.

Early in the second period the Zips pushed their lead back to seven, 42-35, but once again the Huskies responded to get within a possession as Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Iowa Western CC) made a layup and Hankerson knocked in a triple to cut the Akron advantage to 42-40. 

The Zips continued to hold a lead of between four and eight until the final minute when a late burst by the Huskies brought NIU (6-15, 3-8) within a possession. 

A pair of free throws with just under a minute to play gave Akron a 67-60 lead. Crump scored on the next possession and the Huskie full-court press led to a turnover and layup from Williams to bring the Huskies within three with 36.6 seconds left. 

Akron was able to make a pair of free throws on its next possession and hold on for the road victory. 

Greg Tribble added 13 points and Xavier Castandea chipped in 12 for the Zips. Akron shot 52.5 percent (21-of-40) from the field in the contest and went 22-of-26 (84.6 percent) from the free-throw line, NIU went to the foul line just 15 times, making 13 of its attempts (86.7 percent). 

The Huskies will be back home on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 12, as part of a doubleheader with the NIU women's basketball team. The women will face Buffalo at 1 p.m., followed by the men's game against Toledo at approximately 3:30 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).