A historic season came to a short pause Tuesday night for men’s basketball (16-4, 5-2 MAC) as the team took a 76-66 loss to Akron for its second conference loss of the season.

The Huskies were led by freshman guard Marshawn Wilson, who poured in a team-high 15 points on 5-9 shooting. He was followed by junior guard Aaric Armstead and senior guard Travon Baker, who each contributed 10 points.

Both teams put on a great showing in the first half, going back-and-forth in what looked like a game that would come down to the wire. The Huskies got 22 points from their bench and outscored the Zips 12-4 in the paint in the first period, giving them a 31-30 lead heading into the break.

Akron picked up its play in the second half, getting huge contributions from its bench and scoring 11 points off NIU turnovers. The Zips were led by junior forward Kwan Cheatham, Jr. The 6-foot-10 standout didn’t miss a shot on the day, scoring a game-high 18 points on 5-5 shooting in 31 minutes. He also corralled five rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

Sophomore guard Antino Jackson and junior center Isaiah Johnson each gave the Zips 13 points, along with sophomore guard Noah Robotham who contributed 11 points.

The Huskies shot 41 percent from the field and 34 percent from three in the 10-point loss. Akron shot 43 percent from the field and 38 percent from three. NIU led the game in rebounding, winning the battle 32-29. A big difference in the game came from the free-throw line – Akron shot 26-35 from the stripe compared to just 10-17 for the Huskies, a 16-point swing.

“I thought it was a hard-fought game,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery, according to an NIU Athletics news release. “It was two physical teams. When crunch time came in the final minutes, Akron stepped up and made two huge threes and I thought that was the difference. Credit Akron, they made plays. We competed, but teams played hard.”

The Huskies will have an opportunity to avenge the loss as the teams are scheduled for another matchup Feb. 13 at the Convocation Center. NIU is currently 13-0 at home.

Montgomery and his team will remain on the road following the loss as they prepare to face off against Miami at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Oxford, Ohio. The game will be televised on ESPN3.