Sports
Monday, February 15, 2016
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Basketball breaks streak with late win Remaining schedule
Krystal Ward Staff writer
DeKalb | Men’s basketball (17-8, 6-6 MAC) drew 3,457 fans Saturday, its biggest crowd of the season, snapping its five-game losing streak in a thrilling 80-79 victory against the University of Akron (20-5, 9-3 MAC) at the Convocation Center. Junior guard Aaric Armstead was clutch down the stretch, making key plays and shots in the final seconds. Armstead finished the game with a team-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
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Tuesday: vs. Bowling Green Friday: at Ball State Feb. 23: at Central Michigan Feb. 27: vs. Western Michigan Mar. 1: at Eastern Michigan Mar. 4: vs. Ball State
It seems like every MAC game nowadays is coming down to the last four or five minutes. This game is no different. Glad to have Aaric Armstead on my team today.” Mark Montgomery NIU head coach
Freshman guard Marshawn Wilson received his first start of the season, replacing junior guard Michael Orris. NIU head coach Mark Montgomery said he wanted to shake things up because the team had “not been getting off to the greatest starts on the offensive end.” “Sometimes you got to shake some things up,” he said. “I just thought that from what I saw in practice and this unit getting a lot more time to play with each other, I just thought that was the best thing for this game.” Wilson didn’t waste any time making an impact in his first start
Atlee Hargis | Northern Star
Junior guard Aaric Armstead dribbles around the perimeter in Saturday’s game against the University of Akron. Armstead scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds for NIU, leading the Huskies to an 80-79 victory.
as he hit a layup seven seconds into the game. The teams played evenly through the first half, with Akron leading at halftime 41-40. Armstead drained three consecutive triples in just more than a minute to give the Huskies a 14-7 lead six minutes into the game. Freshman guard Laytwan Porter knocked down a three
to give the Huskies a 20-14 lead with close to 12 minutes to play in the first half, but the Zips kept the Huskies scoreless for nearly three minutes as they chipped back into the game and took a 21-20 lead. Senior forward Reggie McAdams drained a three just seconds into the second half to give Akron a 4440 lead. The Zips largest lead was
nine, 61-52, after senior wing Jake Kretzer drilled a triple. The Huskies clawed their way back into the game after senior wing Chuks Iroegbu grabbed an offensive board and slammed it back in to tie the game at 64 with 7:42 left to play. The Huskies held the visitors scoreless for close to three minutes. A triple by Zips sophomore guard
Noah Robotham tied the game at 71 with less than five minutes left in regulation. The final minutes were intense and a technical foul was called on Akron head coach Keith Dambrot. NIU senior guard Travon Baker made one of two free throws to give NIU a 74-71 lead. The Huskies closed the game out in the final moments, holding on for the one-point win. “It felt like a heavyweight fight,” Montgomery said. “You can see why Akron is so tough to beat. I’m going to give our guys some credit. They battled. They fought for forty minutes. They didn’t put their heads down when we got down eight or nine in the second half.” It seems like every MAC game nowadays is coming down to the last four or five minutes. This game is no different. Glad to have Aaric Armstead on my team today.” The Huskies will return to action as they welcome Bowling Green State University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center.
Men’s tennis sweeps three-game weekend stretch Patrick Smith Staff writer T @NSSportsPatrick
Steffens (ISU) def. Tom Hjertonsson/ Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU), 6-3.
DeKalb | Men’s tennis (8-3) raised its winning streak to five games this weekend, picking up wins over Illinois State University, University of Nebraska Omaha and Cleveland State University. The team’s winning streak comes after it started off the season 3-3. The Huskies are now 8-2 at home and 0-1 on the road. “I’m really proud of our guys for the weekend we had,” said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher following the team’s final win of the weekend against Cleveland State, according to an NIU Athletics news release. “Cleveland State is really good and our guys were ready today. We backed up our good win against Illinois State [on Friday] and this is something we can build on. I am hopeful this gives us extra motivation to want more because we have yet to play our best.” The Huskies will look to move to 11-3 as they play three games this weekend, starting with a contest against Butler University at 5 p.m. Friday in Rockford.
Singles 1. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) def. Jakub Eisner (ISU), 6-2, default. 2. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Urh Krajnc Domiter (ISU), 6-3, 7-6. 3. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Rodrigo Oliveria (ISU), 6-3, 6-1. 4. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Andreas Boers (ISU), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6. 5. Christoffer Greve (ISU) def. Kevin Daun (NIU), 6-2, 6-1. 6. Dylan Steffens (ISU) def. Austin Russell (NIU), 6-3, 6-2.
NIU 4, Illinois State 3 Doubles 1. Carlos Manzanas/Austin Russell (NIU) def. Andreas Boers/Rodrigo Oliveria (ISU), 7-5. 2. Jakub Eisner/Egehan Sertkaya (ISU) def. Georg Lundkvist/Kevin Daun (NIU), 7-5. 3. Christoffer Greve/Dylan
NIU 7, Omaha 0 Doubles 1. Colin Buckley/Ignace Warson (UNO) def. Carlos Manzanas/Austin Russell (NIU), 6-3. 2. Georg Lundkvist/Kevin Daun (NIU) def. Matt Dunn/Alex Woodward (UNO), 7-6. 3. Tom Hjertonsson/LouisPhilippe Hamel (NIU) def. Erik Anderson/John Ellis (UNO), 6-2. Anandh Raj | Northern Star
Singles 1. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) def. Colin Buckley (UNO), 6-2, 6-2. 2. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Matt Dunn (UNO), 6-1, 6-2. 3. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Alex Woodward (UNO), 6-1, 6-2. 4. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Marko Minic (UNO), 6-2, 6-3. 5. Kevin Daun (NIU) def. Erik Anderson (UNO), 6-1, 7-5. 6. Austin Russell (NIU) def. John
Sophomore Kevin Daun swings in a Jan. 30 match against Eastern Illinois University. Daun picked up two doubles wins and one singles win this weekend, helping the Huskies sweep all three games and raise their win streak to 5 games.
Ellis (UNO), 7-5, 7-5. NIU 5, Cleveland State 2 Doubles 1. Carlos Manzanas/Austin Russell (NIU) vs. Joe VanMeter/Andre Mick (CSU), 5-5 unfinished. 2. Georg Lundkvist/Kevin Daun (NIU) def. Benjamin Slade/Kevin Goth (CSU), 6-4.
3. Tom Hjertonsson/Louis- 6-2, 6-2. Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Mirko 3. Joe VanMeter (CSU) def. Radosevic/Colton Buffington Georg Lundkvist (NIU). 7-6, 2-6, (CSU), 6-3. 10-4. 4. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Singles Benjamin Slade (CSU), 7-6, 6-3. 1. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) def. 5. Kevin Goth (CSU) def. Kevin Mirko Radosevic (CSU), 6-2, 6-4. Daun (NIU), 6-2, 6-4. 2. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) 6. Austin Russell (NIU) def. Andef. Colton Buffington (CSU), dre Mick (NIU), 6-3, 6-1.