The Northern Illinois men's basketball team made a furious comeback in the final minute to get within one possession, but Ball State held on for an 87-82 victory in the regular season finale on Friday night in Muncie, Indiana.
With the loss, the Huskies (15-16 overall, 7-11 in Mid-American Conference West) will be the No. 9 seed in the MAC Tournament and will play at No. 8 Eastern Michigan on Monday night. In Northern Illinois' previous trip to Ypsilanti, Michigan, the Huskies lost, 84-68, on Feb. 25.
Falling to Ball State (20-11 overall, 11-7 in MAC West) on Friday also means that the Huskies have lost seven of the last eight games heading into the tournament.