DeKALB – NIU men’s basketball (2-2) bounced back from losses against Wisconsin and Grand Canyon with a 117-62 win at home on Thursday night, overwhelming the Benedictine University Eagles (1-1).
NIU wasted no time taking control of the game. The Eagles never held a lead, and by halftime the Huskies had a 40 point lead.
“They didn’t do a lot to really extend us in regards to pressure,” said head coach Rashon Burno. “Just being able to get the ball to the right person so we can take quality shots coming off of the Wisconsin and GCU game, where I thought we got out of sort with the physicality of the game, so we had to really focus on just keeping the game simple.”
Junior guard Daemar Kelly led the Huskies in points with 18 points, finishing 6-8 (75%). Sophomore guard Makhai Valentine followed with 17 points, going 6-7 (85.7%) on free throws, while leading the team with 7 rebounds.
“Pretty much, I just want to do what my team needs me to do every night, and that’s rebounding,” said Valentine. “They expect me to get seven plus a game, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
NIU shot 20-37 (54.1%) in the first half , and went 8-17 (47.1%) from three, building a 60-20 lead by halftime. The Huskies ended the night shooting 37-63 (58.7%) from the field, scoring 117 points for the first time since they faced East-West University last season.
“I feel like a game like this could just instill way more than just confidence in those guys,” Kelly said. “They can just believe in the littlest things in themselves. So I feel like this was a great game for myself in the team”
Benedictine struggled offensively, shooting a mere 23-64 (35.9%) on field goals, turning the ball over 17 times, over double the amount NIU had.
Despite the dominant offensive performance, Burno emphasized the team’s defense.
“If you guarded your yard, that kept us out of rotation,” Burno stated. “ I thought we were really good with our physicality, without fouling, and then just being in the gaps.”
The Huskies go back on the road at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Northern Iowa University in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
