David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) scored a new career-high 37 points while Harvin Ibarguen (Cali, Colombia/Seward County CC) posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team toppled Buffalo, 78-68, on Friday night (March 8) at Alumni Arena in the season finale for both teams.

Zion Russell (Upper Marlboro, Md./National Christian Academy) recorded a new career-high 14 points with Ethan Butler (Toronto, Ontario/Oregon) grabbed 11 rebounds as the Huskies shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27) in the second half to pull away from the Bulls.

Coit had a pair of triples and Ibarguen also had a half-dozen points as the Huskies led by four, 16-12, six minutes to the contest.

Buffalo trimmed the Huskie advantage to one before a dunk from Butler and a fast break layup by Russell helped the NIU lead grow to 20-15 with 12 minutes to play in the opening half.

The Bulls responded with a 17-2 run as Buffalo took a 32-22 lead with 6:38 left before the break.

NIU scored the next seven as a basket by Coit, a triple from Butler and a pair of free throws from Russell pulled the Huskies within three, 32-29, with 4:30 left in the half.

The Huskies then closed the opening stanza on a 9-3 run, with all nine coming from Coit, as NIU took a 38-37 lead into halftime.

Coit scored 17 points to lead NIU in the first 20 minutes, Ryan Sabol had 17 to pace Buffalo. The Bulls were 8-of-16 from three-point range in the opening half.

NIU scored the first four to open the second half as the Huskies pushed their lead to five. After a basket by Buffalo, a trifecta from Coit and a dunk by Ibarguen, off a feed from Coit, gave the Huskies a 47-39 lead with 16:28 to play.

Coit finished with a game-high six assists to go along with his 37 points.

In front by four, Coit scored five-straight to push the NIU advantage to 52-43 with 12:46 remaining.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Fraschels, Switzerland/Ursping) scored to extend the run to seven before the Huskies made five-straight free throws, four from Coit, as the lead reached 59-43 with 11:11 to go.

Konan Niederhauser finished with eight points and six rebounds.

Buffalo answered with a 12-2 run, trimming the visitors advantage back to a half-dozen, 61-55.

The NIU advantage was still six when Russell knocked in a corner triple with just over four minutes to play, giving the Huskies a 66-57 lead.

Buffalo trimmed the deficit to five, but Coit made another basket, and the Huskies went 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the free-throw line in the second half to close out the road victory, and the season sweep of the Bulls.

NIU held Buffalo to just 36 percent (9-of-25) shooting in the second half and 39.7 percent (23-of-58) in the contest.

Sabol finished with 22 points for Buffalo, Jonnivius Smith netted 10 points for the Bulls.

With the win, NIU finishes the season with an 11-20 mark, 5-13 in Mid-American Conference play. Buffalo ends the season with a 4-27 record, 2-16 in league play.