NIU drops first game of Matt Majkrzak era on missed 3 at buzzer in early-morning loss to Grambling

Whether it’s 9 p.m. like usual or 4:22 a.m. Central Time, Nino Carter-Smith said a comeback is a comeback.The NIU men’s basketball team trailed Grambling State by 12 points with 10:06 left in the second half of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon in Rock Hill, South Carolina, but had a chance at a winning shot at the buzzer in the 89-87 loss on Monday.“When you get to it and you really think about it, a game is a game no matter what time it’s at,” said Carter-Smith, who was one of five Huskies in double figures with 13 points and was 4 for 4 on 3-pointers. “The only thing that was really in my mind was, let’s win the game. ... I was just thinking about winning, honestly.“But afterwards, when it all settled, I was like, ‘Wow, it’s actually 4 in the morning, 5 in the morning after the game.’ ”It was the first game under head coach Matt Majkrzak for the Huskies (0-1), who never led. Majkrzak had to build a new roster and leaned heavily on Division II transfers, including four from his la