After being selected as preseason MAC favorites, the NIU men’s basketball team now is below .500 after going 3-6 over Winter Break.

NIU’s three wins all came at home. Two were over non-Division I teams and one was against an Ohio team with a 3-10 record.

Preseason All-MAC members Marcus Smallwood and Perry Smith – both seniors – need help for the Huskies to improve, NIU coach Rob Judson said.

“Our expectations were based mostly on the fact that Marcus was returning and was the lone all-conference player, and Perry Smith had a great all-MAC tournament last year,” Judson said. “The fact is the rest of our team is a young group-either first or second year guys-and we’re in the process of putting that all together.”

Marshall 85, NIU 76: The Huskies began conference play on the wrong foot, getting down early 42-21.

NIU was upset by the Thundering Herd, who was picked 10th in the preseason poll. NIU (3-3 overall, 0-1 MAC) fell in its first MAC game of the season for the seventh straight season.

The Huskies had three players in double figures, led by Perry Smith with 17 points.

NIU 82, Cornell College (Iowa) 54: Freshman Mike McKinney led three Huskies in double figures with a career-high 16 points in a home victory.

NIU (4-3) held the Division III Rams scoreless for the first three minutes of the game after jumping out to an 8-0 lead.

San Jose State 53, NIU 41: In the first game of the four-team tournament in Hawaii at the Surf ‘n’ Slam Invitational, the Huskies shot 32.6 percent from the floor, but got as close as 33-31 in the second half.

San Jose State went on a 9-1 run after NIU (4-4) got close and never let them within six points after that.

Although the Huskies had no players in double figures, Marcus Smallwood (eight points, 10 rebounds) became the 23rd player in school history to score more than 1,000 career points.

BYU-Hawaii 83, NIU 76: NIU trailed by as much as 15 points in the second half and got within five on two separate occasions, but to no avail.

Perry Smith (20 points) and Marcus Smallwood (16 points, seven rebounds) led the Huskies (4-5).

Baylor 69, NIU 59: The Huskies lost their fifth game in six tries in the third-place game at the Surf ‘n’ Slam Invitational in Hawaii.

Marcus Smallwood led the Huskies with 15 points and 18 rebounds.

Baylor forward Harvey Thomas scored a game-high 30 points and added 10 rebounds in his third game after gaining eligibility.

It was determined that Thomas received a benefit by a former member of the basketball staff, which was against NCAA rules.

Since July, when junior forward Patrick Dennehy was found shot to death, Baylor has been under a slew of NCAA imposed sanctions. Former Baylor player Carlton Dotson had since been charged with the death of Dennehy.

NIU 82, St. Francis (Ind.) 53: The Huskies got back on the winning track for the first time in almost half a month with a win over NAIA Division II St. Francis at the Convocation Center.

NIU (5-6) was led by Perry Smith’s 20 points and Marcus Smallwood, who had 14 points and eight rebounds.

NIU 73, Ohio 63: The Huskies got the program’s 1,000th win with a home victory over MAC rival Ohio.

Todd Peterson led four players in double figures for NIU (6-6, 1-1) with 17 points. Perry Smith added 15 points.

Akron 73, NIU 66: Akron led by 15 points with 1:54 remaining in the game before the Huskies scored the game’s final eight points to fall short.

Perry Smith and Marcus Smallwood were the only players in double figures for NIU (6-7, 1-2) with 18 points each.

Bowling Green 76, NIU 69: Marcus Smallwood’s 22 points and seven rebounds were both team highs for NIU (6-8, 1-3), but not enough to overcome the Falcons.

Anthony Maestranzi added 14 points and Perry Smith had 13 for the Huskies.

Bowling Green held a 34-29 half-time lead and finished the game with a 23-9 advantage over NIU in second-chance points.