Hot-shooting Northern Illinois beats Ball St. 80-69

DEKALB, Ill. (AP) — Aaric Armstead hit four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points, and Levi Bradley scored 13 on 5-of-7 shooting to help Northern Illinois beat Ball State 80-69 Friday night.

Northern Illinois hit 14 3s and shot 58.3 percent from behind the arc — both season highs.

Chuks Iroegbu scored 12 and hit all five of his field-goal attempts, while Travon Baker and Marshawn Wilson had 11 points apiece for the Huskies (20-11, 9-9 Mid-American Conference), who reached the 20-win plateau for just the fourth time in program history and first since the 1995-96 season.

Franko House led Ball State (19-12, 10-8) with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Francis Kiapway scored 16, Ryan Weber added 14 and Jeremie Tyler had 13 points.

The Cardinals made just 11 of 29 (37.9 percent) first-half shot as Northern Illinois built a 37-29 lead at the break.

A 3 by Weber just 14 seconds into the second half pulled Ball State within five, but the Cardinals got no closer.