NIU men’s basketball couldn’t catch up after falling behind on an 18-0 run by Bowling Green in the first half. The Huskies fell 69-52 to the Falcons, losing their ninth straight game.

The Huskies (7-17 overall, 2-12 MAC) lost nine straight in 2000-’01 on the way to their worst season with an overall record of 5-23. NIU has not lost more than nine in a row since 1975, where it lost 11 straight.

“In our last few games, we’ve played hard but lost some close, tough games,” NIU coach Rob Judson said. “Confidence is a fragile but powerful thing. It was evident that we didn’t have that, particularly in the first half tonight.”

NIU was faced with a 13-13 tie and gained momentum after a two-handed Marcus Smallwood dunk with 9:20 left in the first half, but failed to score the rest of the period. Bowling Green (11-13, 7-7) entered the second half with a 31-13 lead.

Smallwood returned after a three-game absence for what Judson called a coach’s decision. The 6-6 senior scored seven points and had eight rebounds in the game.

“In the final nine minutes of the first, I’d say it was our defense more than anything,” said Josh Almanson, who led Bowling Green with 18 points. “When you’re up 18 after the first half, it gives you some room to play with.”

Bowling Green’s first-half defense was what coach Dan Dakich dubbed good if not better than the Falcons had played all year. NIU outscored Bowling Green in the second half, 39-38, closing to as close as 14 points with 15:04 left in the game.

“We were much more aggressive in the second half,” Judson said. “We needed to have that aggressiveness more throughout the whole game.”

Bowling Green shot 76 percent from the free-throw line, making 27 to NIU’s 13 free throws. Anthony Maestranzi, Perry Smith and Mike McKinney, NIU’s three starting guards, all fouled out in the final minutes.

NIU shot 14.3 percent from the field in the first half and 30.8 percent for the game.

“We missed shots, and Bowling Green played a good defense,” NIU forward Rome Sanders said. “I knew we had to be more aggressive in the second half.”