Playing on the road isn’t an easy task for any team, but that’s an understatement for the NIU men’s basketball team.

The Huskies came into this season with a 12-game losing streak in MAC road play.

In addition, the Huskies had to open conference play against Toledo, which has a MAC-best 24-2 record at home in the last two seasons.

A 73-69 win over the Rockets (3-2 overall, 0-1 MAC) Saturday night erased all of that.

The Huskies (3-1, 1-0) ran away from a 7-7 tie in the first half to go on a 19-0 run.

The offensive outburst was led by senior guard Cory Sims and sophomore guard Zach Pancratz, as they provided six and five points, respectively.

“We got off to a wonderful start with a high energy level. We made some crisp passes and got hot from the outside,” NIU coach Rob Judson said. “I also thought Cory did an excellent job penetrating. I certainly appreciate the effort from Cory and Zach.”

The Huskies took their offensive surge and turned it into a 43-21 halftime lead.

The Rockets would not go quietly into the night, however.

In the second half, Toledo shot 58.3 percent (14-24) from the field, including an impressive 50 percent (8-16) from behind the arc. The Rockets got within three points of the Huskies on three occasions in the final minutes.

“We got a little tentative in the second half, and that’s understandable for a first MAC road game,” Judson said. “In addition, Toledo’s a good ball club. They’ve got quickness and can really shoot as they showed in the second half. For us to withstand that comeback and their intense pressure was great.”

The Huskies were led offensively by Sims and Pancratz, who both posted career-highs with 20 and 18 respectively.

Center James Hughes added 12 and forward Todd Peterson scored nine and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

“It’s really a great win,” Judson said. “Especially against an excellent team like Toledo that has a terrific home court and impressive home-court record.”

The Huskies will take their three-game winning streak and put it back on the line on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 7:05 p.m. against Wright State at the Convocation Center.