DeKALB | A 34-point effort from Xavier Silas wasn’t enough to keep the Kent State men’s basketball team from running its winning streak against MAC West opponents to 22.

The Golden Flashes (17-7 overall, 8-2 MAC) downed NIU 84-77 on Saturday afternoon, handing the Huskies their fifth consecutive loss.

NIU (7-16, 3-8) went toe-to-toe with the Flashes in the early going, but faded toward the tail end of the first half. The Flashes outscored NIU 30-20 in the paint, exposing the Huskies’ lack of size in the post. Freshman Nate Rucker was held to four points and four rebounds.

Silas shot 11-of-20 from the field, and gave the Huskies some life in the second half. The second-leading scorer in the nation cut the deficit to six with 1:13 remaining, but with the Flashes making their free throws, the Huskies got no closer.

“You can’t rely on one or two guys to get the job done,” said NIU head coach Ricardo Patton. “Kent State didn’t rely on just one guy to do it.”

Kent State forged a 17-point lead in the second half due in large part to the play of forwards Justin Greene and Justin Manns. The interior players combined for 24 points and 15 rebounds.

“When we win the battle from five feet in, we are pretty tough to beat,” said Kent State head coach Geno Ford. “We have some guys that can drive the lane and we have guys like Justin Greene and Justin Manns that can go inside and get a basket.”

Rodriquez Sherman led the Flashes with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

The Huskies held a six-point lead late in the first half, but the Flashes used a strong transition offense and some sharp shooting to go on a 24-9 run to finish the half.

“One of the things they are really good at is their transition offense,” Patton said. “But they also hit some tough shots on that run. Most of the shots were with hands in their faces. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t make those same shots.”

Currently recovering from a hamstring injury, point guard Bryan Hall dressed, but never entered the game. Patton used a combination of Silas and Michael Patton to run the point.

Scoring 12 points in the losing effort, senior guard Jeremy Landers still doesn’t doubt the potential of the 2010-11 Huskies.

“Whether you are a senior or a freshman, losing hurts the same,” Landers said. “We just have to maintain the course right now, and work toward getting better for the MAC Tournament.”

In the midst of a four-game home stand, Ford believes the Huskies could see their luck change in the near future.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if NIU goes on a winning streak soon,” Ford said. “For a little while I thought they were going to start that winning streak today. Luckily, though, we got out of here with the win.”