DEKALB, Ill. – Indiana State shot 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the field in the second half as the Sycamores downed the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team, 90-67, on Tuesday night (Dec. 5) at the NIU Convocation Center. 

David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) scored a team-high 12 points to lead NIU, Xavier Amos (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) added 12 points and a team-high six rebounds. With the setback, NIU falls to 5-3 on the season. 

"A tale of two halves, which has been a trend the last two games," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "Northwestern up one (at halftime), here down one (at halftime), and get our doors blown off in the second half. We must figure out what we are doing to make the corrections. I thought we did enough in the first half to have the lead, we took some ill-advised shots, quick shots, one or two turnovers, but we didn't defend in the second half. If you look at the numbers, it is really egregious in regard to how easy (Indiana State) was able to get shots."

Indiana State (8-1) finished the contest 33-of-63 (52.4 percent) from the field, including 11-of-27 (40.7 percent) from three while holding NIU to just 39.1 percent (25-of-64) shooting and 25.9 percent (7-of-27) from three. 

With the Huskies in front by three in the early going, Coit scored five-straight to give the Huskies a 13-5 lead just over five minutes into the contest. 

A triple from Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom) gave NIU a 21-12 lead with 12:32 to play in the opening half, but Indiana State answered right back with the next eight to trim the Huskie advantage to just one, 21-20, with 11 minutes to play before the intermission. 

After Indiana State went in front by a pair, 27-25, NIU scored eight-straight courtesy of a bucket from Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Fraschels, Switzerland/Ursping) and back-to-back triples by Philmon Gebrewhit (Boston, Mass./DePaul) and Amos, giving the Huskies a 33-27 advantage with 5:53 left in the half. 

Konan Niederhauser finished with 10 points.

The Sycamores responded with the next nine points as the visitors went in front by three, 36-33. The lead swung back-and-forth over the final three minutes of the half and Indiana State went into halftime with a one-point lead, 40-39, after a runner from Ryan Conwell with five seconds remaining. 

Indiana State's Isaiah Swope led all scorers with 15 points in the opening half, Coit had 10 to pace the Huskies. Indiana State shot 50 percent (14-of-28) from the floor in the first half.

The visitors were in front by four before using a nine-point burst to take a 59-46 lead with a little under 15 minutes to play. 

Indiana State held NIU to just 35.7 percent (10-of-28) shooting in the second half, including 1-of-10 from three, as the Huskies were unable to mount a comeback. 

Up next for NIU is a trip to New Jersey as the Huskies will face Monmouth on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 1 p.m. CT, before returning home to host Calumet College on Monday, Dec. 18. Tickets for all remaining Huskie basketball home games are available now, including the "Holidays with the Huskies" package and the "All MACtion" mini-plan.