Nov. 20, 2007

Box Score

Indiana State 75, Northern Illinois 65 in PDF Format

Terre Haute, Ind. - Despite a game-high and season-best 23 points from freshman guard Darion Anderson (Chicago, Ill./Carver Military Academy), the Northern Illinois men's basketball was unable to overcome 15 turnovers and torrid Indiana State shooting from three-point range, as the host Sycamores pulled away for the 75-65 non-conference victory over the Huskies at the Hulman Center on Tuesday night.

For the game, Indiana State shot 45.8% (11-for-24) from three-point range and 66.7% (6-for-9) from beyond the arc in the final stanza. Sycamore guard Gabe Moore led four ISU players in double-figures with 14 points, followed by 11 points from Marico Stinson and 10 points apiece from Aaron Carter and Isiah Martin.

"Hats off to Indiana State," NIU head coach Ricardo Patton said. "They turned up the intensity in the second half and made some shots. Our defense wasn't as good as I thought it had been in the first half. Their guys got open looks and that was the ballgame."

With the victory, Indiana State improves to 2-2 on the campaign, while the visiting Huskies fall to 0-5 overall.

NIU, who had trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, used a 13-2 run, keyed by eight points from Anderson, to head into intermission trailing by only one point at 32-31.

Indiana State, however, opened the second half on a 7-0 run led by four points from Moore and never looked back on their way to victory.

NIU senior forward Egan Grafel (Oberlin, Kan./Decatur Community/Cloud County C.C.) added 11 points and six rebounds in the defeat.

The Huskies are back in action on Saturday, November 24, as they welcome Stephen F. Austin to the NIU Convocation Center for Northern Illinois' home opener, slated for a 7 p.m. tip-off. 

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