Feb. 8, 2012
Box Score
Northern Illinois 62, Miami 59 
DeKALB, Ill.--Four RedHawks scored in double figures, including a career-high 15 points from sophomore forward Jon Harris who sunk five 3-pointers, but it was not enough as Miami University's men's basketball team suffered a 62-59 loss at Northern Illinois on Wednesday evening.
Harris banked in a 3-pointer that would have tied the game, but the officials reviewed the shot and confirmed that it left his hands after the buzzer sounded.
Harris and senior forward Julian Mavunga each had 15 points to lead the RedHawks (7-15; 3-7 Mid-American Conference). Harris and senior forward Adam Thomas notched a team-leading six boards apiece. Sophomore guard Quinten Rollins had a solid night with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and just one turnover in 40 minutes of action. Sophomore center Drew McGhee was the other RedHawk to score in double figures with 11 points.
After the Huskies (3-19; 2-8 MAC) collected the opening bucket, Miami rattled off seven unanswered points off layups by Mavunga and Rollins and a 3-pointer from Harris to take a 7-3 lead at the 17:01 mark.
NIU came back to knot the game with 14:48 remaining, but a bucket by Rollins and a three-point play from Mavunga extended the RedHawk lead to 12-7 with 12:05 remaining in the opening half. The Huskies went on an 8-0 run to post a three point edge with 9:07 left, but RedHawk freshman guard Brian Sullivan knocked down a triple less than 20 seconds later, while a Mavunga slam dunk at 7:58 gave Miami a 17-15 advantage.
The teams went back and forth until a Rollins trey and a Mavunga layup handed Miami a five-point edge with 2:51 remaining, 27-22. But the Huskies scored seven unanswered to capture a 29-27 lead. Mavunga sunk a pair of free throws with 36 seconds left to even the score, 29-29, but Miami allowed NIU to go to the free-throw line with four ticks of the clock where the Huskies connected on one of two tosses to claim a 30-29 lead going into the half.
The RedHawks opened the second half on a 15-4 run, taking a 44-34 lead by the 14:05 mark. McGhee accounted for eight of the RedHawks' points during the scoring surge and Brian Sullivan and Harris each knocked down 3-pointers.
A triple by Harris again put Miami up 10 with 9:42 to play, 51-41, but the Huskies chiseled away at the RedHawk lead. NIU went on a 17-5 flurry over the 7:12 to capture a two-point advantage with 2:30 remaining, 58-56. A pair of Rollins free throws with 1:04 left tied the game at 58-58, however, Stian Berg tossed in the go-ahead layup off balance with 39 seconds left, and the Huskies went on to the three-point win.
Tyler Storm led the Huskies with 17 points, while Aksel Bolin notched 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Miami returns home to host Central Michigan at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 in the second game of a women's and men's basketball doubleheader.
