Sunday’s 83-79 victory was significant in many ways for the NIU student population.

The NIU men’s basketball team’s win over Akron (16-9 overall, 7-4 MAC) ended the Zips’ seven-game winning streak. It also broke the Huskies’ six-game skid. But the main thing that had the Convocation Center rocking was that up to 250 students walked away with free concert tickets.

If the Huskies (7-16, 3-8) scored 78 points or more and won the game, 250 students received free tickets to the T.I. and Ludacris concert Friday. The students were required to sit in section 101 in order to claim their prize.

With 48.4 seconds remaining in the game, sophomore Darion ‘Jake’ Anderson dropped the 78th point from the free throw line. Section 101 exploded as the ball fell through the net.

All NIU had to do from there was hold the lead and send its fans home happy.

“Throughout the whole campus everyone was like, ‘We need those tickets. We don’t have any money,” Anderson said. “We really just wanted to come in and win, so that just comes with it.

I’m happy for the students. I know they’re very happy.”

The promotion worked as some students watched an NIU basketball game for the first time.

Junior public health major Liz Edmonds decided to attend her first game and it turned out to be a real treat.

“I got to support my school and get a free ticket at the same time,” Edmonds said. “It was real interesting and makes me want to come to more games.”

Senior economics major Joe Williams thinks the ticket giveaway was a good way to increase attendance at NIU athletic events.

“It makes the team get into it and they were happy too,” Williams said. “It brought a lot of fans out to show support. Our team really needs us.”