JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Featuring six Terriers in double figures for the first time since 2013, the Boston University men's basketball team rolled to a 76-58 win over Northern Illinois in the opening round of The Jacksonville Classic by Fabletics at UNF Arena on Sunday afternoon.

With the help of nine 3-pointers, BU (3-2) shot a season-high 56.3 percent from the field against a 1-3 NIU squad that previously held Power 5 schools Washington, Indiana and Missouri to a combined 37.2 FG% on the road. The Terriers also went a perfect 13-of-13 at the charity stripe and outscored the Huskies in points off turnovers, 15-6, despite NIU pressuring the ball all game.

Graduate student Javante McCoy went 7-of-10 from the field en route to a game-high 18 points alongside a season-high seven assists. Classmate Sukhmail Mathon earned 10 points, five rebounds and a personal-best four assists, while senior Fletcher Tynen went a combined 9-of-9 from the field and the free throw line for a season-high 13 points. Junior Nevin Zink also had a perfect day shooting at a combined 6-of-6 and was joined by seniors Walter Whyte and Jonas Harper in tallying 11 points apiece.

Previously posting 28 points in NIU's 71-64 stunner at Washington, Trendon Hankerson was held to just 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting, while Keshawn Williams earned 13 points. Overall, the Huskies were held to 37.7 FG% and just one fast break point.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After Zink completed an early 3-point play for a 5-4 lead at 14:02, Kaleb Thornton hit a pull up jumper to spark a 10-2 run capped by his own 3-pointer at 12:11 for the 14-7 advantage.
• Williams kept the Huskies ahead, 17-13, with a 3-pointer at 9:18, which was followed by a 17-0 Terrier run over the next eight minutes. 
• Whyte's score from downtown at 6:34 gave BU the lead for good, 18-17, and Harper's trey at 1:39 extended the lead to 30-17.
• Hankerson responded with a 3-pointer of his own, and Adong Makuoi hit a layup following McCoy's driving layup to put BU's halftime lead at 32-22.
• The Huskies started the second half by converting on an offensive rebound and BU turnover to cut the deficit to 32-26, but the Huskies would never get any closer.
• Tynen fed Zink for an open two-handed slam dunk and followed up on the next possession with a 3-pointer to grab a 42-28 lead.
• Trying to mount a rally, the Huskies eventually used two free throws from Darweshi Hunter to cut the lead back to single digits (48-39) at 8:17, but Mathon hit two of his own in response.
• The Terriers shot 75 percent in the second half and would extend the lead to 70-53 on Whyte's slam dunk at 1:21 before Mathon ended the contest with two more free throws for the 18-point victory.

GAME NOTES

• McCoy became the 13th Terrier to eclipse 1,400 points and is just three away from tying No. 12 Chaz Carr ('05) at 1,406 and 10 away from Mike Alexander ('11) at 1,413.
• Whyte is now 23 points away from becoming the 40th Terrier to reach 1,000 career points.
• Tynen reached double figures for the fourth time in his career and was one shy of tying his personal best of 14 points set against Emerson his freshman season.
• Zink reached double figures for the first time as a Terrier after hitting the mark 26 times over three seasons at USC Upstate.
• BU finished 9-for-23 (.391) from behind the arc and outscored NIU in the paint, 28-24.
• The Terriers moved to 1-1 all-time against the Huskies following a 78-65 defeat in the 1999 season opener at Florida International's tournament.
• BU collected its first win against the Mid-American Conference since earning a 67-64 double overtime win at Ohio in 2003.

UP NEXT

• The Terriers will next face Sam Houston State on Monday (Nov. 22) at 1:30 p.m. in the Jax Bracket title game. The Bearkats advanced with a 77-59 win over Little Rock.
• The matchup will mark the first ever between the two programs.