Abdel Nader scored 12 points and Northern Illinois reeled off the final eight points to edge Toledo 65-61 on Wednesday night.
Aksel Bolin added 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds as the Huskies (4-24, 3-12 Mid-American) snapped a five-game slide.
Dominique Buckley scored 16 points, Julius Brown 12 and Curtis Dennis 11 for the Rockets (15-15, 6-9), whose four-game winning streak ended.
Despite the defeat, Toledo secured a first-round home game in the conference tournament because of a loss by Miami (Ohio).
After the Rockets went ahead 61-57, they went scoreless for the last 4:27. Northern Illinois got a jumper from Tony Nixon and a three-point play and a basket from Keith Gray to make it 64-61.
Toledo had a chance to tie, but Rian Pearson turned it over with 5 seconds left, and the Huskies' Marquavese Ford hit a free throw for the final margin.
