Despite leading at halftime, the Northern Illinois men’s basketball team succumbed to a big run and a scoring drought through much of the second half in a 70-52 loss Tuesday at Iowa State.
Iowa State (2-1) outscored NIU, 22-6, over the first 10 minutes of the second half, and an 11-0 run pushed the Cyclones to a 17-point lead, 57-40.
Eugene German finished with 24 points on 8-of-27 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.
Rasir Bolton’s 17 points led the Cyclones, as Solomon Young’s 15 points aided the Cyclones.
German scored 12 of the Huskies’ first 18 points, and NIU raced out to a 23-15 lead 12 minutes into the game after Trendon Hankerson made a 3-pointer.
NIU’s lead was at its largest, 26-15, after Rod Henry-Hayes sunk a trey after Hankerson’s triple.
The Huskies (0-2) claimed a 47-38 rebounding edge but couldn’t slow down the Cyclones in the second half after leading, 34-31, at halftime.
Henry-Hayes and Hankerson each scored six points. The Huskies tallied only three assists, all in the first half. NIU shot 18-of-60 from the floor (30%). NIU’s 20 turnovers turned into 30 Cyclones points.
Up next: The Huskies play Coppin State on Friday at home.
