Northern Illinois: For a 2 1/2-minute stretch Saturday, Northern Illinois’ Mike Lipnisky looked like the Mike Lipnisky who averaged 30 points a game his senior year at Rolling Meadows High School.
Swish goes the three-pointer. Two points on the driving layup. Nothing but net at the line. Eight points in the final 2 1/2 minutes for the junior guard as the Huskies defeated Valparaiso 69-63.
But times definitely have changed for Lipnisky. Those shoot-’em-up days of high school are long gone, and Lip knows it.
“I’m more of a point guard this year, and I’m trying to get everyone else involved,” he said.
In the last week, he has been doing a nice job of it. He took only nine shots Saturday, hitting seven, and dished out four assists to go along with 22 points. He’s consistently getting the ball inside or to fellow guard Randy Tucker on the wing.
“It’s not an easy adjustment for him,” admitted coach Brian Hammel. “But he’s tried his tail off.
NIU meets Eastern Illinois on Monday in Charleston.