DeKalb Times

 Akron scored 48 second half points, shooting 56.7 percent (17-of-30) from the field after halftime, as the Zips turned a two-point halftime lead into a 76-51 victory over the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team in the Mid-American Conference opener for both schools on Tuesday night (Jan. 3) at Rhodes Arena. 

Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J.) led the way for the Huskies with 11 points and nine rebounds while Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill.) added 10 points. 

"We had three guys with three fouls in the first half and that took us completely out of rhythm," said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. "You have to change lineups, who you play, and play guys out of position. It was a choppy game, neither team got in a rhythm (in the first half). Give credit to (Akron), they made a lot of shots."

The Zips led 9-6 before a five-point NIU burst put the Huskies in front by a pair. Williams made a bucket and Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill.) added a trifecta from the wing as NIU took an 11-9 lead with just over 11 minutes to play in the opening half. 

After Akron went back in front, 15-13, NIU used an 8-2 burst to take a 21-17 lead with 3:26 left in the first half. Williams opened the run with a long two, Nutter then added a bucket before Darweshi Hunter (Cincinnati, Ohio) converted twice, giving the Huskies a four-point advantage. 

Akron then used an 11-0 run to take a seven-point lead in the final minute of the half until a pair of free throws from David Coit (Columbus, N.J.) and a triple to beat the halftime buzzer from Nutter brought the Huskies back within a pair, 28-26, at the intermission. 

Nutter led NIU with nine points and eight rebounds in the opening 20 minutes; Enrique Freeman had 12 points to pace the Zips in the first stanza. 

The home team made a quick start to the second half, using a 10-1 burst to take a 38-27 lead with 17:30 to play. Akron's lead grew to 13 with another basket before two-straight buckets from Anthony Crump (Inkster, Mich.) brought NIU back within single-digits. 

An old-fashioned three-point play from Williams made it 44-34 Akron with 14 minutes to play, but the Zips scored the next six as they pushed their lead to 50-34. 

Akron held NIU to 26.9 percent (7-of-26) shooting in the second half, including 0-of-7 from three-point range. Freeman finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Zips, Greg Tribble added 16 points. 

Up next for the Huskies is a trip to Buffalo as NIU heads to Western New York on Saturday, Jan. 7. Game time against the Bulls is slated for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+. 

Original source can be found here