DEKALB, Ill. -- CJ Carter scored on a 3-point play Friday night to help Omaha take the lead in the final seconds and hold on to a narrow 68-66 victory over Northern Illinois.

Carter drove for a layup with 13.3 seconds remaining in the game, hitting the basket and drawing a foul. He sank his free throw to give Omaha a 67-65 lead after trailing and a back-and-forth tie with the Huskies. Carter led the Mavericks with 18 points, and had six rebounds and four assists.

Northern Illinois responded as Travon Baker drew a foul from Devin Patterson with nine seconds remaining. He missed his first free throw, but hit his second to make the score 67-66.

Caleb Steffensmeier hit his second free throw on the other end of the court for his only score and the final point of the game. The Mavericks made 84.4 percent of their free throws.