Game Notes in PDF 

NIU (5-5, 0-0 MAC) vs. UC Riverside (7-5, 0-0 Big West)
Date / Time: Friday, January 2, 2015 / 7 p.m. CT
Site: NIU Convocation Center • DeKalb, Ill.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: WLBK 1360-AM, 98.9-FM (DeKalb), WIND 560-AM (Chicago) or online at NIUHuskies.com
Live Stats: NIUHuskies.com
Twitter Updates: @NIUscores
All-time Series: NIU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 22, 2013 • NIU 71-64

DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team will wrap up the non-conference portion of its 2014-15 slate on Friday, Jan. 2, when the Huskies host UC Riverside at 7 p.m., at the NIU Convocation Center.

HUSKIE QUICK HITS
• Friday is NIU’s final non-conference game of the season. The Huskies begin league play next Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Ohio.
• Aaron Armstead set a new NIU school record with eight steals against Hampton (Dec. 29). Armstead broke the previous record of seven set by Kenny Battle on Dec. 29, 1984 vs. Fairfield and matched by Ronald Minter on Jan. 18, 1996 against Cleveland State.
• With its 83-51 victory over Hampton on Dec. 29, NIU has won 10 consecutive home games dating back to last season. NIU’s current home winning streak is its longest since winning 11 consecutive home games between Jan. 22, 1990 and Jan. 15, 1991.
• Darrell Bowie recorded his second career double-double last time out against Hampton with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
• NIU forced 25 Hampton turnovers and turned them into 41 points. The Huskies committed a season-low nine turnovers.
• Aaron Armstead is averaging 11.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game over the last four games, going 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) from three-point range during that stretch.  
• Anthony Johnson is shooting 45.5 percent (15-of-33) during the current four-game stretch and is averaging 10.3 points per game.
• Over the last four games, the Huskie bench has outscored its opponents bench, 111-56 (average of 27.8-14.0).

ABOUT UC RIVERSIDE
• The Highlanders come to DeKalb with a 7-5 overall record and earned a 68-63 victory over Morgan State on Tuesday night (Dec. 30). Taylor Johns led UC Riverside with 31 points and 13 rebounds against Morgan State.
• Johns is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Highlanders averaging 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
• Jaylen Bland also scores in double figures for UC Riverside at 14.1 points per contest.

THE LAST MEETING
• NIU earned a 71-64 victory on Dec. 22, last season in Riverside, Calif., in the first meeting between the Huskies and Highlanders.
• Dontel Highsmith scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.
• Travon Baker added 13 points and Aaron Armstead added 11 off the bench for the Huskies.
• Jordan Threloff and Pete Rakocevic each recorded three blocks last season against the Highlanders.
• Nick Gruninger and Chris Harriel each scored 18 points to pace UC Riverside.

HAMPTON RECAP
• NIU moved to 5-0 at home this season with an 83-51 victory over Hampton on Monday, Dec. 29.
• Junior Darrell Bowie recorded his second career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
• Senior Aaron Armstead set a new school record with eight steals against the Pirates. Armstead scored 12 points off the bench for the Huskies.
• NIU forced 25 Hampton turnovers and turned them into 41 points. The Huskies committed a season-low nine turnovers.
• The Huskie bench scored 34 points while the Hampton reserves scored just nine points.
• NIU did not trail in the contest and allowed just 16 second half points as Hampton shot 23.8 percent (5-of-21) in the second 20 minutes.

A NEW RECORD
• Senior guard Aaron Armstead set a new NIU school record with eight steals against Hampton (Dec. 29).
• Aaron Armstead broke the previous record of seven set by Kenny Battle on Dec. 29, 1984 vs. Fairfield and matched by Ronald Minter on Jan. 18, 1996 against Cleveland State.
• Armstead’s eight steals were half of Michigan’s 16 against Hampton, one shy of NIU’s 17 against Bowling Green last season in the MAC Tournament First Round (March 10, 2014), which is the most for the Huskies during Mark Montgomery’s four-year tenure.
• Hawaii’s Roderick Bobbitt has the most steals in a game this season with 10 against Hawaii-Hilo (Nov. 19), VCU’s Briante Weber had a nine-steal game against Toledo (Nov. 18) and seven Division I players, including Armstead, have an eight-steal game this season.
• Armstead currently ranks 15th in the MAC in steals with 1.4 per game.

HOME SWEET HOME
• With its 83-51 victory over Hampton on Dec. 29, NIU has won 10 consecutive home games dating back to last season.
• The current win streak began with an 88-63 victory over Central Michigan (Feb. 12, 2014) and also includes wins over Eastern Michigan (61-59, Feb. 20), Toledo (74-66; Feb. 26), Ball State (70-56; March 8), Bowling Green in the First Round of the MAC Tournament (54-51; March 10) , Aurora in the season opener (86-56; Nov. 15) Idaho (78-67; Nov. 20), Maine (61-56; Nov. 30) and Mississippi Valley State (71-64; Dec. 16)
• NIU’s current home winning streak is its longest since winning 11 consecutive home games between Jan. 22, 1990 and Jan. 15, 1991.
• NIU’s current 10-game home winning streak is the third-longest in the MAC. Eastern Michigan has won 17 consecutive home games while Western Michigan has won 11-straight at home.