What happened

Men’s basketball (10-13, 4-8 MAC) fell to the Western Michigan Broncos (15-10, 6-6 MAC), 69-65, Saturday at in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The loss would put NIU at the No. 10 seed out of 12 teams for the MAC Tournament if the season ended today. Seeds 1-4 get a first-round bye, seeds 5-8 host a first-round tourney game and seeds 9-12 play a first-round game on the road

How it happened

The Huskies put together a strong shooting performance in the first half. They shot 56.7 percent on their way to 41 points in the first half.

On the flip side, NIU’s defense wasn’t able to limit the Broncos much as Western Michigan shot 56 percent in the first half. Redshirt senior Anthony Johnson paced the Huskies in the opening frame with 13 points.

The hot shooting didn’t last for either team with the two teams combining for 15 field goals in the second half. While there was no clear advantage in the second half, the Broncos kept the Huskies from retaking the lead as NIU kept the game within two points.

The difference maker came from the charity stripe as the Broncos got to the free-throw line 22 times in the second half. They converted on 16 of their opportunities.

Western Michigan was also dominant on the offensive boards in the second half as it picked up 10 offensive rebounds, which led to 14 second-chance points. Outside of redshirt senior Jordan Threloff’s 11 defensive rebounds, the Huskies just weren’t able to rebound as easily as they normally do.

One positive for the Huskies was their interior scoring. They grabbed 40 points in the paint, despite missing redshirt freshman Marin Maric and junior Darrell Bowie, who were out with injuries.

The number: 2

That’s the number of 3-pointers NIU made. The lack of success beyond the arc hurt the Huskies, especially in the closing minutes as they went away from the inside game. They missed four attempts in the final four minutes.

Northern Star players of the game

Threloff recorded his second double-double of the season as he scored 15 points, picked up 15 rebounds and added a pair of blocks for NIU. It was also his fifth career double-double. Threloff also went 7-8 from the free throw line.

Western Michigan sophomore Tucker Haymond scored 16 points for the Broncos and was a big help on the offensive glass. Four of his seven rebounds were on the offensive end.

The quotes

“It was a one- or two-possession game the whole game,” said NIU head coach Mark Montgomery. “We had chances. With 4:13 to we’re down one. You can’t ask for more from your guys. We had our chances, and we didn’t capitalize.”

“Both offenses were in incredible rhythm and things were clicking,” Montgomery said. “In the second half we held them to 26 percent shooting. Unfortunately, they got a second opportunity off rebounds. And Western Michigan did a better job of getting to the line.”

Up next

The Huskies return to Michigan for a Wednesday matchup against the Central Michigan Chippewas (18-5, 8-4 MAC). Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Mount Pleasant, Mich., with the game streaming on ESPN3.