DEKALB, Ill. – Central Michigan shot 60.9 percent (14-of-23) in the second half as the Chippewas downed the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team, 71-66, on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 18) at the NIU Convocation Center. The Huskies made 13 triples, shooting 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from three, but it wasn't enough to earn the victory. 

Quaran McPherson (South Jamaica Queens, N.Y./Link Year Prep) scored a game-high 22 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, while Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) added 12 points and Kailon Nicholls (Toronto, Ontario/Hargrave Military Academy) chipped in 11 points. 

"We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game, but we didn't control the things that we can control with regards to the free throw line, 7-for-15, is minus eight, and you lose by five," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "We had four crucial free throws (missed). We fought hard, limited bench but I thought the guys showed some fortitude and some toughness. We have to finish games and finish games the right way, down the stretch we just didn't convert when we got to the foul line."

Central Michigan (8-9, 2-3 MAC) scored the first four points to open the contest before back-to-back triples from Ethan Butler (Toronto, Ontario/Southwest Academy) and Jones gave the Huskies an early two-point advantage. 

Butler finished with nine points and a team-high tying seven rebounds. 

NIU (4-13, 0-5 MAC) continued to have success from beyond the long line early as Jones made another, McPherson knocked in a triple and James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) converted a four-point play as the Huskies led 18-11 with 11:48 to play in the opening half. 

Back-to-back triples from McPherson extended the Huskie lead to 24-11 and, following a Central Michigan three, Jayden Mott (Midwest City, Okla./Edmond Santa Fe) connected from long range as NIU opened the contest 8-of-12 from three. 

Following the Mott triple, Central Michigan went on a 15-0 run as the Chippewas took a 29-27 lead with just over four minutes to play before halftime.

After a basket from McPherson, CMU scored the final six to end the half as they took a 35-29 lead into halftime. 

McPherson led all scorers with 11 points in the opening half, Anthony Pritchard and Cayden Vasko each had nine to pace the Chippewas. NIU shot 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from three-point range in the opening stanza. 

In the second half, McPherson's  fifth trifecta of the afternoon brought NIU within three, 47-44, with 13:30 left to play.

Nicholls pulled NIU back within a pair as he knocked in a pair of triples, sandwiched around a Central Michigan basket, as the visitors led 52-50 just past the midway point of the second half. 

A Central Michigan three extended the advantage to a half-dozen, 61-55, with 5:50 left. The lead grew to eight for the visitors before Dent hit a three from in front of the NIU bench to trim the CMU lead back to 65-60 with just over four minutes left. 

Dent scored nine points and had a team-high tying seven rebounds. 

Central Michigan led by seven heading into the final two minutes and the Huskies missed four consecutive free throws to stall the hopes of a Huskie comeback. 

Jakobi Heady scored 16 points to pace the Chippewas. Vasko finished with 15, Pritchard had 13 and nine assists while Kyler VanderJagt scored 13 points. 

NIU will be back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 18, as the Huskies travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face Western Michigan before returning home to host Ball State in the second half of a Huskie basketball doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 25.