NIU men’s basketball coach Rob Judson was looking for his team to show improvement from last Tuesday, and it responded by beating the NBC Thunder 98-66.

“We took steps forward tonight from our first exhibition game,” Judson said. “Our transition defense was much improved. I liked the way we rebounded and played offensively. The only thing we need to keep working on is free-throws.”

Free-throw shooting might be a cause for concern for Judson’s squad, as it shot better from the floor (51.3 percent) than it did from the foul line (50 percent on 8-of-16).

Forward Marcus Smallwood made the most of his 26 minutes of action as he ripped down a game-high 13 rebounds, eight of which were offensive, and scored a game-high 23 points off 10-of-16 shooting to lead six Huskies in double figures.

“Marcus had his usual warrior-like performance tonight,” Judson said.

Freshman Todd Peterson had 12 points and drained a trio of three-point bombs.

In his second collegiate game, Peterson claimed he was more relaxed and was able to find more of a rhythm.

The Thunder were headlined by former NBA player Craig Ehlo, known by most for his defense on Michael Jordan when No. 23 hit one of his first, of many, in your face game-winners.

Ehlo shot 3-of-15 for 11 points.

“It was fun playing against someone that Michael Jordan played against,” said Peterson, who guarded Ehlo in his 17 minutes of action.

NIU enjoyed a 47-32 halftime advantage and dominated every statistical category. NIU had 60 points in the paint compared to the Thunder’s 10. Also, the Huskies had 24 second-chance points to NBC’s eight.

At the tail-end of the game, redshirt freshman Bryson McKenzie brought the fans to their feet. McKenzie followed up a missed shot with a two-handed jam for his only two points of the evening. He preceded that by fouling out 12 seconds later.

NIU now will set its sights on its season opener Friday against Winthrop in Madison, Wis.

“This is good motivation for us and helps our morale,” Smallwood said. “We were a little nervous and hesitant last week, but we played a lot more to our strengths tonight. We are really looking forward to getting this season started.”