DEKALB, Ill. – JJ Taylor (Chicago, Ill./San Ysidro) led four played in double figures with 14 points as the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team topped Quincy, 82-68, on Tuesday evening (Oct. 28) in an exhibition game at the NIU Convocation Center. 

Makhai Valentine (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) scored 12 points while Gianni Cobb (Chicago, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) and Daemar Kelly (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) each chipped in 11, Cobb also recorded a team-high nine assists. 

NIU shot 54.7 percent (29-of-53) from the field in the contest, including 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from three-point range. 

A 10-2 run helped the Huskies take a 15-6 lead with 13:54 to play in the opening half. Four different Huskies scored during the burst, including a pair of buckets from Hassan 'Tre' Washington (Providence, R.I./Prise Academy). 

Jao Ituka (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) knocked in a triple, NIU's third of the half, to give the Huskies a 20-9 advantage with just under 13 minutes left in the opening stanza. 

Another 10-2 Huskie burst pushed the NIU lead to 33-14. Isaiah Washington (Fayetteville, N.C./Winston-Salem Christian), Valentine and Taylor all made triples during the run that put the Huskies in front by 19 with 7:51 to play in the half. 

NIU led by as much as 22 in the opening half before taking a 43-31 lead into the break. Taylor and Tre Washington each had seven points to pace the Huskies in the opening 20 minutes while Cobb dished out five assists. NIU shot 53.6 percent (15-of-28) from the field in the first half, including 50 percent (7-of-14) from three-point range. 

Quincy scored six of the first eight to start the second half, trimming the NIU lead to 45-37. Back-to-back Hawk triples then cut the Huskie advantage to just a pair, 45-43, with 17:18 remaining, forcing a NIU timeout. Out of the timeout, Kelly knocked in a triple as the Huskie lead grew to five.

NIU used an 11-0 run to go in front, 59-45, with 13:40 to play. Kelly opened the run with a trifecta, Gustav Winther (Roskilde, Denmark) added an old-fashioned three-point play and Valentin knocked in a triple during the burst. 

Quincy pulled back within seven with a little under 11 minutes left and still trailed by seven, 75-68, when Cobb knocked in a triple to push the Huskie lead to double figures with four-and-a-half minutes left. 

The Huskies held the Hawks scoreless over the final 5:24 of the contest as NIU closed out an exhibition victory. 

Eleven of the 12 Huskies that played scored as the NIU reserves outscored the Quincy bench, 25-12. 

NIU will open the 2025-26 regular season on Monday, Nov. 3, when the Huskies host ULM in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge. Tip-off against the Warhawks is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. 

Season tickets for the 2025-26 Huskie men's basketball campaign are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com. Reserved seats are available for $120 with general admission tickets available for just $80, courtside seats and Nelson Club access are also available. For more information, contact the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225) weekdays between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or via email at huskiestickets@niu.edu.