DeKALB | NIU men’s basketball head coach Rob Judson labeled Saturday’s game against Kent State correctly when he called it “a tale of two halves.”

The Huskies kept the first half close with four points being the largest margin held by either team. NIU cut down on turnovers with nine and shot a higher shooting percentage then the Golden Flashes.

But then the team’s “Mr. Hyde” appeared.

NIU started the second half with two missed shots. After two free throws by Kent State guard Omni Smith, guard Chris Singletary stole the ball from NIU forward Shaun Logan, which turned into another Smith free throw.

Next came a turnover by NIU guard Ryan Paradise. After Smith missed a three-pointer, Paradise got the rebound and passed to forward Zach Pancratz, who had the ball stolen away by Smith, who then scored on two more free throws.

On NIU’s next possession, guard Quintan Lipkins got the ball stolen away from him by forward Julian Sullinger, but Kent State scored no points off it.

After a timeout, Bristan Kelley turned the ball over to the Golden Flashes. Center James Hughes blocked a Singletary shot, and after two missed shots by the Huskies, Hughes finally put a stop to the run with a layup.

The Huskies were only down by five, but the damage was done.

From there, Kent State followed their performance up with a 14-0 run, thanks in part to three-pointers by Smith and forward Mike Scott.

NIU totaled 14 turnovers in the second half and shot 25 percent from the field, opposed to Kent State’s 52 percent.

Judson said that NIU’s turnovers lead to run-outs and easy baskets, giving them the high shooting percentage.

“Any turnovers are frustrating,” Judson said. “Our guys don’t want to turn the ball over.”