Jan. 31, 2012 
Live Stats l Game Notes in PDF 
Northern Illinois Huskies (2-17, 1-6 MAC) vs. Ohio Bobcats (17-4, 5-2 MAC)
Date: Wednesday February 1, 2012
Tipoff: 7 p.m.
Location: NIU Convocation Center • DeKalb, Ill.
Radio: WLBK 1360-AM in DeKalb, WJOL 1340-AM in Joliet and WLIP 1050-AM in Kenosha
Live Stats: NIUHuskies.com
The Match-Up
Northern Illinois concludes its brief two-game home stand on Wednesday night when the Huskies host Ohio University. The contest will mark the midway point of conference play for both the Huskies and the Bobcats. NIU and Ohio enter Wednesday’s game as two of the top-three offensive rebounding teams in the MAC, the Huskies lead the league at 13.1 per game and the Bobcats are third at 12.7 per contest.
About Ohio
The Bobcats bring a MAC-best 17-4 record, 5-2 in conference play, to DeKalb and are ranked 16th in this week’s Mid-Major Top 25, the highest of any team in the MAC. Ohio is led by Chicago native D.J. Cooper, who is averaging 14.0 points and 5.6 assists per game. Walter Offutt (11.5) and Ivo Baltic (11.3) also score in double figures for the Bobcats. John Groce is in his fourth season as the head coach at Ohio, like NIU head coach Mark Montgomery, Groce came to the MAC after having been an associate head coach in the Big Ten (Ohio State).
Against the Bobcats
Northern Illinois trails Ohio in the all-time series, 28-16. The Bobcats also hold a slight edge in the series, 11-9, in games played in DeKalb. Overall, Ohio has won four-straight against NIU, with the last Huskie victory coming on Feb. 10, 2007, an 81-74 victory in Athens. NIU’s last home win against Ohio was a 64-59 victory on Jan. 17, 2005; the Bobcats have won the last two meetings in DeKalb.
Huskie-Bobcat Connections
Familiar faces will square off on Wednesday when the Huskies and Bobcats meet. NIU junior Tony Nixon and Ohio junior D.J. Cooper were high school teammates at Seton Academy. As seniors, the duo helped lead Seton Academy to the Illinois Class 2A state title, the first in school history.
Everyone Contributes
Against Buffalo (Jan.28), 11 different Huskies saw action in the contest, with all 11 scoring at least one point, led by Abdel Nader’s 11, his 10th double-figure scoring game of the season. In addition, 10 of the 11 Huskies to appear in the contest also grabbed at least one rebound.
Getting to the Line
Northern Illinois went to the free-throw line a season-high 29 times against Buffalo (Jan. 28), converting on a season-best 21 of those chances (72.4 percent). During MAC play, the Huskies have done a better job getting to the free-throw line as a team, averaging 20.6 attempts per game after averaging just 14.8 attempts per contest during non-conference.
Huskies to Meet SIU Edwardsville in Sears BracketBusters
NIU has been paired with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in its Sears BracketBusters contest to be played on Saturday, Feb. 18. The Huskies and Cougars have met once previously, a 90-69 NIU victory on Dec. 9, 1985 in DeKalb. NIU will be playing in its eighth all-time BracketBuster game, last season the Huskies hosted Seattle in the BracketBusters, falling 60-48 to the Redhawks. The Huskies have a 1-6 record in BracketBuster contests, with their lone win coming on Feb. 21, 2009 at Southeast Missouri State, 97-73. NIU will be playing its sixth road game in its eight BracketBuster appearances.
New Radio Affiliate
WLIP, 1050-AM in Kenosha, Wis., is the newest radio affiliate for the Northern Illinois Radio Network presented by IMG College. WLIP will be broadcasting its first Huskie game of the season on Wednesday night, replacing WKRS, which has changed its programming format.
Looking Ahead
Northern Illinois will return to the road on Saturday, Feb. 4, when the Huskies travel to Bowling Green to visit the Falcons. Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
