University of Maine
Northern Ill.
Maine Men's Hoops Drops a Heartbreaker to Northern Illinois, 61-56
11/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois men's basketball team didn't hold a lead until there was only 50 seconds left on the clock as the Huskies used a 40-25 second-half effort to defeat the Black Bears, 61-56 at the Convocation Center Sunday afternoon. The loss drops the Black Bears to 0-5 while the Huskies improved to 3-1.
The Black Bears played their best half of the season in the first frame, stifling the NIU scorers as the squad shot 17.9 percent in the first half and holding leading-point producer, Aaric Armstead to just two points. Maine in turn shot 42 percent from the field and outscored the Huskies 31-21, taking its first halftime lead of the year into the break.
NIU changed things in the second half as the squad shot 45 percent from the field and Maine shooters went cold, only making 9-of-24 from the floor in the losing effort.
Fouls were a big problem for Maine as three players fouled out of the game with Garet Beal, Marko Pirovic and Till Gloger all receiving five. As a team the Black Bears had 29 fouls to the Huskies' 12.
Pirovic started his third consecutive game and recorded double-figures yet again as this time the second-year player led the team in points and rebounds, recording a double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Shaun Lawton also recorded 10 points and recorded three steals as he extended his consecutive steal-streak to 11 contests.
Beal made an impressive return to the lineup as he produced nine points and added one rebound and one assist. Valarevic also nearly made double-figures as he hit three treys and notched two rebounds.
Michael Orris victimized the Black Bears in the second half scoring 13 second-frame points to finish with 18 to go along with two rebounds. Darrell Bowie also recorded double-digits as he finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.
The Black Bears opened the game on a 14-2 run, sparked by a pair of treys by Lawton and Valjaervic, which forced a Northern Illinois timeout.
Maine led by as much as 14 in the first frame as Pirovic dashed into the paint and laid in a bucket to make it 29-15.
The Huskies finished out the half on a 6-2 run, but Maine ended the first frame up 31-21.
The second half started with great promise as the Black Bears roared out to a 23-10 run to get its largest lead of the game as the squad led 54-33 with 10:43 remaining.
From that point on the Black Bears struggled to make buckets as the Black Bears scored just two points through the final 10 minutes of play as NIU finished a 28-2 run to close out the victory.
The road-weary Black Bears look forward to its first home game of the regular season as Maine comes home to face Wagner as the Cross Insurance Center on Dec. 2. That home opener is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip.
