A bounce-back second-half shooting performance led men’s basketball to a 64-58 road victory Tuesday against the Ball State University Cardinals in Muncie, Indiana.

How it happened

The Huskies and Cardinals both struggled shooting the ball throughout the first half. NIU and Ball State went 9-25 from the field in the first half. Shooting was not the only problem both squads faced as turnovers plagued both sides. Both the Huskies and Cardinals recorded eight turnovers apiece in the first half.

Senior guard Trendon Hankerson was feeling it in the first half, recording 12 points through the first 20-minutes of play. Sophomore guard Keshawn Williams also racked up nine points in the first half for the Huskies.

Both teams went back-and-forth with scoring in the last seven minutes, leaving the game tied at 27-27 as both teams headed to the locker room at the half.

The second half saw NIU begin to pull away from Ball State. Senior forward Chinedu Kingsley Okanu began to earn points in the paint, recording 10 points in just the second half. Okanu was not the only player who began to find the mark as NIU improved it’s shooting percentage to 50% on the half, edging out a six point victory.

Thoughts from Coach Burno

Burno’s thoughts on the team’s second-half performance:

“We try to tell these guys to maximize their moments and be present in the game,” head coach Rashon Burno said on Huskie Sports Radio. “These guys’ energy really helped them in the second half.”

On what’s next following Tuesday’s road victory:

“We are going to watch film, recover, and put ourselves in position to win our next road game,” Burno said.

The end result

NIU moves 7-16 overall and 4-9 in the Mid-American Conference, sitting in 9th place. Ball State drops to 11-14 overall, 6-9 in the MAC and sits in 6th place in the conference standings.

The Huskies continue their road trip 6 p.m. Thursday in Akron, Ohio as they take on the 16-8, University of Akron Zips. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.