UB men’s basketball (3-21, 1-10 MAC) fell 72-68 to the Northern Illinois Huskies (9-15, 3-8 MAC) Tuesday night, marking their 21st loss of the season. With just seven games remaining in the season, the Bulls playoff hopes remain grim.
After an overtime win against Georgia Southern this past weekend, UB stumbled down the stretch and remained last in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The first half seemed hopeful for the Bulls, as they led 34-31 at the end of the first 20 minutes. Big plays from senior forward Isaiah Adam — including a big three-pointer that tied the game at 15 midway through the first — helped push UB through the game. Despite being down three with three minutes remaining in the first, the Bulls closed hard with a 6-0 run to end the opening half.
The Bulls kept it close for a majority of the game, causing several ties and lead changes. But as the game progressed, missed free throws proved to be the difference. UB only converted 9-of-22 (40.9%) of their trips to the free-throw line, compared to NIU’s 16-for-29 (55.2%). Combined with being outscored 14-5 in second-chance points, the Huskies walked away victorious.
Senior forward Jonnivius Smith achieved an encouraging double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. In addition, fifth-year forward Sy Chatman led the Bulls in scoring with 18 points while staying efficient from the field converting 6-of-9 shots. Going forward, these two will be essential to the team’s final push to finish out the season.
As the final 20 minutes began, NIU began pulling away. With the game totaling in 14 lead changes and six ties, the Bulls couldn’t get a firm grasp on a lead. Sophomore NIU forward Xavier Amos proved to be key down the stretch for the Huskies, as he finished with a game high 25 points.
In the final minutes of the game, freshman guard Ryan Sabol was able to cut into the lead with a clutch three-pointer, but NIU would prove to be insurmountable.
The Bulls will next face Akron (18-6, 10-1 MAC) in a home game on Saturday. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Evan is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at evan.hilbert@ubspectrum.com
Evan Hilbert is an assistant sports editor at The Spectrum. He also is a three-season student-athlete with UB’s DI cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track team. He’s a fan of the Milwaukee Bucks, Newcastle United F.C., and the Buffalo Bills.
