YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team had two chances to tie in the final minute, but both came up empty as the Huskies fell to Eastern Michigan, 75-71, on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 4) at the George Gervin GameAbove Center. Neither team led by more than eight in a contest that featured eight ties and nine lead changes. 

James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) had a team-high 15 points, to go along with eight rebounds and four assists, Ethan Butler (Toronto, Ontario/Southwest Academy) scored 14 points, Quaran McPherson (South Jamaica Queens, N.Y./Link Year Prep) added 12 and Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) finished with 10 points. 

"It was a competitive game," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "I thought we had the right gameplan, we executed, but then we had a three-minute lull (in the second half) when we stopped guarding and didn't execute down the stretch. We had some untimely turnovers and some layups at the rim that we missed, and that's the difference in the game when you lose by four."

Eastern Michigan (7-6, 1-0 MAC) led by eight, 61-53, before five-straight free throws from McPherson brought NIU back within three, 61-58, with just under eight minutes left. Butler then added a bucket on the inside to bring the Huskies within one. 

The Eagles still led by one after a pair of Butler free throws, EMU then scored the next five to lead 73-67 with 1:22 to go. 

Dent made a pair of free throws and Jones converted at the rim as NIU pulled back within two, 73-71, with 23 seconds left. An Eastern Michigan turnover, and an Eagle missed free throw, gave the Huskies two chances to tie or take the lead, but the visitors came up empty both times before Eastern Michigan clinched the game with a pair of free throws. 

Da'Sean Nelson finished with a game-high 32 points for Eastern Michigan. Jalin Billingsley added 15 points and Christian Henry chipped in 13 for the Eagles. 

Tied at six in the early going, Joe Munden Jr. (Harlem, N.Y./Monsignor Scanlan) knocked in a triple to put the Huskies in front by three. After Eastern Michigan scored the next five to go in front by a pair, Jones converted to even the contest at 11 with just under 13 minutes to play before the break. 

Eastern Michigan scored the next five before NIU answered with eight-straight to take a 21-18 lead. Nicholls knocked in a corner triple, Butler finished at the rim and Dent made a triple from the wing to give the Huskies a three-point lead with 8:37 to play in the half. 

In front by a pair, 26-24, Nicholls canned a trifecta and a mid-range jumper to give the Huskies a 31-24 lead, forcing an Eastern Michigan timeout.

After the Eagles scored the next seven to even the game at 31, McPherson made a corner three to put NIU back in front, 34-31, with 2:22 to play in the half. 

Eastern Michigan made a basket to pull back within one before Tsvet Sotirov (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Rolling Meadows) hit a corner triple to close the scoring and give the Huskies a 37-33 lead at the intermission.

Butler and Nicholls each had eight first half points to lead NIU. Nelson had 16 points to pace Eastern Michigan. The Huskies shot 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from three in the first half while holding the Eagles to just 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from distance in the opening 20 minutes. 

Dent scored six points early in the second half as the Huskies led by a pair, 43-41. 

After Eastern Michigan went back in front by two, Sotirov hit a corner three to give the Huskies a 49-48 lead with 14 minutes to play. Eastern Michigan responded with the next eight to go in front, 56-49. 

NIU will be back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when the Huskies welcome Kent State to DeKalb for the MAC home opener. Game time against the Golden Flashes is scheduled for 6 p.m. and tickets are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets.