Inside the NIU Convocation Center, 2,502 fans showed what an NIU men’s basketball game could be.

“Let’s go Huskies” repeatedly echoed off the walls.

Standing ovations, whistles, and cheers were at times so loud it became hard to hear the person next to you.

And on Hawaiian Night, fans could be seen in hula skirts and tropical shirts. There were even inflatable bananas and monkeys.

Before the game against Bowling Green – the top team in the MAC West – NIU men’s basketball coach Rob Judson said that games like this make college basketball exciting.

NIU came in the underdog despite winning four games in a row at home, Judson said.

But after going down 19-8 to start the game, it looked like any thought of an upset was gone.

That’s when the home crowd started to show they were there. NIU got six points to cut the lead down to 21-14. Then NIU guard Anthony Maestranzi hit a three-pointer that made the home crowd roar in approval.

Four straight layups gave NIU a 24-21 lead and after a Bowling Green timeout, the Convo crowd responded by getting even louder and giving NIU a standing ovation.

The NIU men’s basketball team came into the game with the worst attendance in the MAC. But anyone outside the Convo wouldn’t have known it from the noise.

“[The fans] were great to see,” Judson said. “I mean, what’s a home court worth?”

In the midst of a 24-6 run, Judson felt the home crowd gave them that extra edge: The little extra energy on offense. A good call from the referee. The ability to make the big stop on defense.

And even when the Falcons came back from being down 20 in the second half, the crowd stood and cheered.

It was things like that the NIU players felt.

“It feels so good to be home,” Maestranzi said. “And it was definitely nice to have a home crowd like that to help us out.”