TOLEDO, Ohio – Hassan 'Tre' Washington (Providence, R.I./Prise Academy) had a career-best 17 points, including a perfect 8-of-8 from the field, and a team-best seven rebounds but the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team fell, 79-69, to Toledo on Tuesday night (Feb. 24) at Savage Arena. Gianni Cobb (Chicago, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) also had 17 points, along with six rebounds and five assists. 

Toledo (15-13, 9-6 MAC) went 7-of-17 (41.2 percent) from three-point range in the contest while NIU was just 5-of-23 (21.7 percent). 

The home team led by four, 12-8, in the early going before the Rockets used an 8-0 run to push the lead to 20-8 with just over 15 minutes to play in the opening half. 

NIU (9-18, 4-11 MAC) responded with an 8-0 run of its own as Cobb, Taj Walters (Bronx, N.Y./Moravia Prep), Washington and Daemar Kelly (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) each scored to bring the Huskies back within four, 20-16, with 12 minutes left in the half. 

Walters finished with 11 points and five rebounds. 

Toledo answered with eight of the next 10 as the Rocket lead grew to 28-18 with 8:18 to play before the intermission. 

A triple from Makhai Valentine (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) ignited an 11-0 run for the Huskies as Walters and Cobb both hit trifectas, followed by a layup from Gustav Winther (Roskilde, Denmark), as NIU took a 29-28 lead 4:29 left in the half. 

Valentine had 11 points and six rebounds in the contest. 

The hosts closed the half on an 8-2 run as Toledo took a 36-31 lead into the break. Cobb led NIU with 11 points in the opening 20 minutes, Austin Parks had 12 to pace the Rockets. 

In front by three early in the second half, Toledo used a 10-2 burst to take a 51-40 lead with 13:35 to play. 

A put-back dunk from Washington and an old-fashioned three-point play from Winther pulled NIU to within seven, 61-54, with eight minutes left in the contest, but Toledo came back with the next eight points however, as the Rockets extended their lead to 69-54 with six minutes to go. The home team led by 13 in the final minutes before NIU made five free throws to get within eight, 75-67, with just under a minute left. That was as close as the Huskies would get however as Toledo clinched its spot in the MAC Tournament with the victory. 

Sonny Wilson scored 17 points to lead the way for Toledo, Parks and Mynor Strong each added 14 while Leroy Blyden Jr. chipped in 12 points and Sean Craig was in double figures with 11 points. 

NIU will return home on Saturday, Feb. 28, for the annual Cram the Convo doubleheader. The NIU women's team will tipoff at 1 p.m., immediately followed by the Huskie men's basketball game against Ball State. Tickets are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets.