NIU men’s basketball (2-3) endured a long night offensively away from home, falling 70-57 against the Northern Iowa University Panthers (4-0).

The Huskies were able to keep pace in the first half, trailing 32-29 at halftime after shooting 9-20 (45%) from the field and 4-9 (44.44%) from deep. The Huskies’ perimeter shooting helped keep them even with a Northern Iowa squad who shot 13-26 (50%) from the field. 

After a close first half, the Panthers took control offensively and were able to pull away in the second, going 12-16 from the free-throw line and 11-18 from the field. NIU looked to keep pace but ultimately couldn’t, shooting just 37.04%.

Freshman guard Dylan Ducommun led the way with 12 points, going 4-11 from the field and 3-6 from three while adding 7 assists. Junior guard Daemar Kelly followed close behind with 10 points of his own, and went 6-6 from the free-throw line. Sophomore guard Makhai Valentine provided 8 points on perfect shooting while grabbing 5 rebounds. 

Despite the loss, NIU showed defensive discipline, holding the Panthers to 70 points. However, Northern Iowa’s combination of physicality and free-throw efficiency wore the Huskies down late. 

The Huskies will now travel to Loyola University Ramblers at 7 p.m. Friday in Chicago.