Fueled by a big second quarter, Northern Illinois held on for an 88-80 win over visiting Ohio on Saturday afternoon in the Convocation Center.
The Huskies (10-4) improved to 3-0 in conference play for the first time since the 1993-94 season. The loss snapped a two-game win streak for the Bobcats (11-3, 2-1 MAC), who lost to a Mid-American Conference opponent not named Buffalo for the first time since 2015.
Ohio entered allowing just 57.3 points per game, and leading the MAC in turnover ratio (+7.9) and field goal percentage defense. Northern Illinois, however, shot a solid 44 percent from the field, competed in the turnover department, and upended the game with a 28-point explosion in the second quarter.