NIU men’s basketball coach Jim Rosborough should be more than ecstatic that Antwon Harmon was dressed in cardinal red and black in Monday night’s home game against Eastern Illinois.

The 6-foot-8 Huskie center, who fired the last-second shot to gun down the Panthers 80-79, was once torn between which of the two rivalry schools he would attend.

“Eastern Illinois was the last recruit (choice) for me before Northern, so this was a big game for me,” Harmon said.

And a big game for him it was.

Harmon barely needed to wipe the dust from the soles of his shoes for traction, as his numerous tip-ins, eight boards and a few stuffs kept him airborne for most of the game. Not to overlook the two-hand slam dunk off teammate Donald Whiteside’s pass, which added fuel to a five-point run by the Huskies in the second half.

Harmon’s smooth play throughout the EIU contest was probably deceiving to most of the 1,865 fans at Chick Evans Field House, as it was only his second collegiate game (Harmon sat out last season under Proposition 48).

But Harmon most likely fooled EIU coach Rick Samuels and the NIU bench as well.

With 15 seconds left in the game, NIU called a timeout to compose itself from a 78-79 deficit. Although Rosborough had said at one time he could go to a number of players in clutch situations, he planned to try a two-man game with Donnell Thomas and Stacy Arrington. But Samuels must of figured as much.

EIU double-teamed Thomas, who had already racked up a team-leading 21 points for the evening. This forced Whiteside to pass to Stacy Arrington, who in turn dished it off to Harmon at the free-throw line extended for a 15-foot fallaway jump shot.

“That really wasn’t what we had designed,” Rosborough said, “but (Harmon) stepped up there, and he took the shot right when he should. It was right on the money, and that’s what you practice for.”

However, a crowd-pleasing Harmon said he thought his overall play in the game left a lot to be desired.

“I’m still not really satisfied,” Harmon said. “There’s always room for improvement.”