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DeKALB – Off the high of clinching a Mid-American Conference tournament berth Saturday, the NIU men’s basketball team fell behind by as much as 19 to Buffalo on Tuesday in an 85-75 loss at the Convocation Center.
“Personally, I feel like we didn’t handle it well,” senior Anthony Crump said. “We have to do better at learning how to win and being a winning program. Winning programs, when they clinch a playoff spot, are not too high, not too low about it. We’ve got to be how we’ve been all season winning games, be used to that, and go win another game. ... It wasn’t like we were going to Cleveland right away. We still had games left. We have to do a better job staying focused.”
The Huskies got the deficit down to 70-63, capped by a dunk by Harvin Ibarguen from Kaleb Thornton with 3:56 left. But Buffalo scored the next six, including a steal and layup as part of a 21-point performance by Curtis Jones, to get the lead back to 13 in the final 2:30.
“Personally, I feel like we didn’t handle it well. We have to do better at learning how to win and being a winning program. Winning programs, when they clinch a playoff spot, are not too high, not too low about it. We’ve got to be how we’ve been all season winning games, be used to that, and go win another game.”
— Anthony Crump
Buffalo (14-16, 8-9 MAC) was blazing in the first half, hovering around a 60% field-goal percentage. The Bulls finished shooting 54.2%, while the Huskies, in the 30s for most of the night, finished making 61% in the second half and 49.1% for the game.
Darweshi Hunter led the way for the Huskies with 18 points. David Coit, back after missing the past three games with a strained hamstring, scored 18 and also had six rebounds.
“It was like day-to-day at first. I could barely walk,” Coit said of his injury. “Gradually got better every day, did rehab. Rehab, ice, rest.”
[ Photos: NIU men's basketball hosts conference foe Buffalo ]
Crump had 13 points and six rebounds, while Thornton had 10 points and nine assists.
The loss likely means the Huskies (12-18, 8-9) will be the No. 7 seed in the MAC tournament next week.
“I’m disappointed in our start to the game,” coach Rashon Burno said of the Huskies surrendering 14 of the first 18 points in the contest. “We’ve started well the last month and a half. The start of the game reminded us what it was like in the early part of the season, being 12-4, 13-5. ... I don’t think we had the right mindset to play a desperate team that had a lot to play for.”
The Bulls also dominated the boards 39-25. Issac Jack and Laquill Harnett led the Bulls with eight rebounds each. No one other than Hunter and Crump had more than four rebounds for the Huskies.
The Bulls raced to a 42-26 lead at the half. Aside from an alley-oop from Thornton to Ibarguen 14 seconds into the game, NIU never led.
The Huskies got it within six on an Ibarguen dunk with 12:32 left. But NIU didn’t hit a field goal again for another 7:04, including a 5:13 scoreless streak that allowed the Bulls to extend the lead to double digits.
“I think our immaturity, having guys in situations they haven’t been in before in regards to having a spot already clinched for postseason, I don’t think we came in with the right mindset,” Burno said. “Lesson learned for the coaching staff, for the players. ... I don’t like teaching from a loss, but I’ll teach from a loss.”
The Huskies will close the regular season at home Friday against Eastern Michigan (8-22, 5-12). The Huskies beat the Eagles 88-67 in Ypsilanti in January. The Eagles need a win and some help to have any chance of making the MAC tournament.