YPSILANTI, Mich. – Eastern Michigan shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field in the second half and used a 15-3 run to pull away from the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team for a 77-59 victory on Tuesday night (Jan. 13) at the George Gervin GameAbove Center. 

Makhai Valentine (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) led the way for the Huskies with 20 points, Taj Walters (Bronx, N.Y./Moravian Prep) had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Gianni Cobb (Chicago, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) had nine points and a game-high seven assists. 

"Defense in the second half was the difference," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "Recently that had been reversed, where we had played defense better in the second half. We also didn't shoot well, Dylan (Ducommun) was 1-of-9, 0-of-7 (from three). We had costly turnovers while they were making their run and we couldn't stop the bleeding by scoring."

Trailing by one, Walters scored five-straight points to give NIU a 12-8 lead with 12:48 to play in the opening half. 

Tied at 19, Daemar Kelly (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) converted on a layup and Valentine knocked in a triple in transition as the Huskies took a 24-19 lead with 6:11 left in the opening half. 

Kelly finished with eight points and seven rebounds. 

The NIU lead grew to five, the largest of the half for either team, 26-21, on a free throw by Walters with 3:09 to play before the break. Eastern Michigan closed the half on a 7-0 run however as the Eagles took a 28-26 lead into the intermission. 

Valentine had 11 first half points to lead NIU, Walters added eight points and five rebounds. Mohammad Habhab and Addison Patterson each had six points to pace Eastern Michigan. The two teams combined for just seven first half turnovers, with NIU committing five and Eastern Michigan committing just two. 

NIU (5-11, 1-4 MAC) opened the second half with five-straight points, including a triple from Valentine, as the Huskies took a 31-28 lead. Eastern Michigan answered with an 11-3 run as the Eagles went back in front, 39-34, with 15:21 remaining. 

The Eastern Michigan run reached 15-3 before Kelly scored five-straight points, pulling the Huskies back within four, 43-39, with 12:12 left to play. 

Walters finished at the rim to extend the run to 7-0 and pull the Huskies within a pair, but Eastern Michigan scored eight of the next 10 as the Eagles took a 51-43 lead with 8:15 to go. 

Eastern Michigan's (9-9, 3-3 MAC) lead grew to a dozen, 56-44, with 6:52 left. NIU would cut the lead down to nine, but that is as close as the Huskies would get as the hosts closed out an 18-point victory. 

Patterson finished with 20 points to lead the way for the Eagles, Habhab added 15 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Gregory Lawson chipped in 13 points off the bench. 

NIU will return home on Saturday, Jan. 17, when the Huskies host UMass. Game time against the Minutemen is scheduled for 2 p.m. and tickets are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets.