MILWAUKEE, Wis. – David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) scored a team-high 14 points while Philmon Gebrewhit (Boston, Mass./DePaul) added 11 but the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team dropped a 92-70 decision to fifth-ranked Marquette on Monday night (Nov. 6) at Fiserv Forum. 

The Golden Eagles shot 52.2 percent (35-of-67) in the contest and had a 52-32 edge in points in the paint. Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Fraschels, Switzerland/Ursping) added nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds. 

"It was a tale of two halves," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "Our nerves and our jitters really put us in a bad space to start the game. Five of our first 10 possessions were turnovers and when you do that against a team that is high-powered like Marquette you can really dig yourself a deep hole, and we did that. 

"I liked our grit in the second half. We settled down and were able to score the way that we can score, we just have to be better, but Marquette is a phenomenal team."

Marquette jumped out to a 13-5 lead in the opening five minutes of the contest as Kam Jones made his first three triples tries to ignite the offense for the Golden Eagles in the early going. 

A put-back from Konan Niederhauser and a triple from Coit trimmed the Marquette lead to 13-10, but the Golden Eagles answered with the next six to push their advantage to nine with just under 13 minutes to play in the opening half. 

The Marquette lead grew to 50-28 at the intermission. The Golden Eagles shot 61.3 percent (19-of-31) in the opening 20 minutes, including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from three-point range. Jones led all scorers with 15 points in the first half, Coit led NIU with seven while Konan Niederhauser added six points and six rebounds. 

A 12-1 run in the second half helped NIU trim the Marquette advantage to 14, 65-51, with a little under 13 minutes to play. Will Lovings-Watts (Jeffersonville, Ind./Putnam Science) scored seven points during the burst, Gebrewhit added a bucket and Zion Russell (Upper Marlboro, Md./National Christian Academy) converted a three-point play during the run for the Huskies. 

Marquette answered with the next eight as the Golden Eagle lead grew to 73-51 just past the midway point of the second half.  

The Huskies played the Golden Eagles even in the second half, 42-42, as they held Marquette to just 15.4 percent (2-of-13) shooting from three-point range in the second 20 minutes. Lovings-Watts had all nine of his points after the intermission. 

NIU will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 11, when the Huskies host Appalachian State in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge at the NIU Convocation Center. Tipoff against the Mountaineers is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tickets for all Huskie basketball games, including season tickets, which start at just $80 for general admission season tickets in sections 115-118 (lower bowl baseline) with reserved lower bowl sideline season tickets available for just $120. NIU faculty and staff, NIU Alumni Association and Varsity Club members, and senior citizens can purchase men's basketball season tickets for $105. 

The new "Run it Back with the Pack" plan is also on sale, "Run it Back with the Pack" tickets are $20 for a men's basketball general admission ticket.

For more information on season tickets, including courtside and premium seating opportunities, call 815-753-PACK (7225).