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DeKALB, Ill. – The Ohio men's basketball team (23-8, 14-6 MAC) wrapped up the 2021-22 regular season Friday night (March 4), falling to Northern Illinois (9-21, 6-14 MAC), 58-57, inside the NIU Convocation Center. 
 
Following the game, the Mid-American Conference announced the 2022 MAC Tournament Bracket. The Bobcats will be the No. 3 seed and will take on No. 6 Ball State in the final game of the night on March 9 inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
Overall, Ohio shot 33.3 percent from the field, 28.0 percent from three and were 16-of-19 from the line, while NIU shot 43.1 percent from the field, 17.6 percent from three and were 11-of-14 from the line. NIU outrebounded Ohio, 38-29, while both teams dished out 10 assists.  
 
Individually, sophomore guard Mark Sears () led Ohio with 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, while fifth year forward Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) added 10 points and four rebounds. Redshirt senior forward Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) had nine points, as did junior guard Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y.). 
 
NIU won the tip and got the first points for the game. Ohio tied the game at 2-2 after a layup from Carter. After NIU went up 6-2, another Carter layup cut the NIU lead to two. However, NIU hit a three, taking a 9-4 lead into the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, Ohio went on to tie the game at 9-9 on free throws from Vander Plas and a three from Sears. A dunk from Clayton gave Ohio its first lead of the game. After NIU took a two-point lead, a layup from Olumide Adelodun (Calgary, Canada) put the Bobcats up 13-11. However, two jumpers from NIU put the Huskies up 15-13 with 10:35 left in the game. 
 
NIU went on a 9-0 run to take a 22-13 lead before a free throw from Vander Plas and a layup from Carter cut the lead to 22-16. However, NIU hit back-to-back layups to take a 10-point lead with 4:21 left in the half. Out of the timeout, Brown hit a three to stop the run and cut the NIU lead to 26-19. After NIU took a 27-19 lead, it took the Bobcats until 36 seconds remaining to get another layup from Carter to cut the NIU lead to 27-21 going into halftime.  
 
At the half, Ohio shot 33.3 percent from the field, 25 percent from three and were 3-of-6 from the line, while NIU shot 43.5 percent from the field, 25 percent from three and were 5-of-6 from the line. NIU outrebounded Ohio, 19-12 and dished out six assists to Ohio's five. 
 
Individually, Carter led Ohio with eight points and two rebounds, while Sears added three points, three rebounds and three assists and Vander Plas added three points. 
 
Ohio opened the half with the first points with free throws from Sears. After an NIU layup to take a 29-23 lead, Carter counters with a jumper of his own before a three from Brown cut the NIU lead to 31-28 with 15:04 left in the game. Out of the timeout, free throws from Sears cut the lead to one before a three from senior guard Tommy Schmock (Cleveland, Ohio) gave the Bobcats a 33-31 lead. The with NIU within one, Schmock drained another three to give Ohio a four-point lead. However, after the lead, NIU connected on two-straight jumpers, tying the game at 36-36 with 11:32 left in the game. 
 
After NIU went up 40-36, two free throws from Vander Plas brought the score within two. However, NIU took a 44-38 lead before a three from Brown cut the lead to 44-41 with 7:50 remaining in the game. After NIU went up 50-45, free throws from Sears cut the lead to two, NIU went up 47-53 before a three from Sears cut the lead to 53-50. However, a layup from NIU increased the Huskies lead to five with 3:05 remaining. 
 
Out of the timeout, NIU took a 56-50 lead. However, five-straight points from Sears cut the NIU lead to one with 1:51 remaining in the game. Out of the timeout, Sears took the team on his back, scoring Ohio's last 12 points to cut the NIU lead to 58-57 with 12 seconds to go. Sears was able to get up the court and take the final attempt at a three that went halfway down before rimming out as time expired, sealing the one-point for NIU. 
 
For the Huskies, Keshawn Williams and Trendon Hankerson both had 15 points. 
 
Up next, Ohio head to Cleveland, Ohio for the 2022 MAC Tournament. The No. 3 Bobcats will take on No. 6 Ball State on Thursday, March 9 inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. 
 
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