UMass Falls On Road At NIU

The Minutemen lost a tight one to Northern Illinois, 70-68 on Saturday.

(UMass Ahletics)

UMass basketball fell to Northern Illinois 70-68 on Saturday afternoon. The Minutemen had chances to take the lead late but could not knock down shots in the closing minutes.

UMass entered the contest on a two-game winning streak after victories against Ball State and Western Michigan but could not carry that momentum on the road against a spirited Northern Illinois group.

Leonardo Bettiol finished with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Marcus Banks Jr. scored 16 points, while K’Jei Parker added 15, but it was not enough to overcome a strong defensive effort from the Huskies.

Makhai Valentine led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He also knocked down four 3-pointers and grabbed four offensive rebounds.

The Minutemen went on multiple runs after halftime, briefly taking the lead, but it never extended beyond two points. UMass trailed by one with just over a minute left and had possession.

Jayden Ndjigue recovered a loose ball and fired a pass to a wide-open Banks Jr. on the wing. The 37.8 percent 3-point shooter had a chance to take the lead, but the shot hit back iron and went out of bounds off a Minutemen player.

Despite the missed opportunity, UMass played strong defense on the ensuing possession with a Bettiol block and a rebound by Banks Jr. on Northern Illinois’ second chance. The Minutemen regained the ball with under 50 seconds remaining, still down one.

Parker patiently brought the ball up the floor and played catch with Banks Jr. before receiving it back in the corner. The junior college transfer found himself one-on-one against Valentine. Parker drove into the paint, stopped with a behind-the-back dribble and created space for a shot.

The Florida native elevated for a clean look with the game on the line but missed. Northern Illinois converted its free throws from there, limiting UMass’ comeback chances.

Bettiol had an opportunity to tie the game after Ndjigue missed a free throw, but his acrobatic layup again hit back iron, sealing the outcome.

UMass committed 18 turnovers, leading to extra possessions for the Huskies in both halves. Gianni Cobb recorded six steals, while Valentine added four as Northern Illinois’ physical defense was evident from the opening tip.

Both teams opened the game attacking the paint and drawing fouls. Seven of the first 12 points came at the free-throw line.

The score was tied at 10 just over four minutes into the game. Banks Jr. scored five early points for the Minutemen, while Valentine helped create early scoring opportunities for Northern Illinois.

A few minutes later, Daemar Kelly hit a 3-pointer to give the Huskies a lead they would not relinquish in the first half. Parker and Isaiah Placide answered with baskets to trim the deficit to one on multiple occasions, but Northern Illinois responded each time.

After the midpoint of the half, Valentine converted a layup to make it 20-16, then followed with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 23-18.

Banks Jr. knocked down his second 3-pointer with 6:37 remaining to cut the margin to two, but Northern Illinois answered with a 7-0 run behind Hassan Washington and Valentine to stretch the lead to 30-21.

Banks Jr. connected on another 3-pointer with just over four minutes left to pull UMass within six, but Carlos Coronado Jr. quickly answered from beyond the arc.

Northern Illinois extended its lead to 12 late in the half before Parker scored five straight points to close the gap. The Huskies took a 40-33 lead into the break.

UMass shot 32 percent from the field in the first half, compared to 46.4 percent for Northern Illinois.

The Minutemen improved offensively after halftime but missed several key opportunities down the stretch.

UMass returns home Tuesday to face Toledo with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+.

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