NIU (3-0) at Cal State Northridge (1-2)
Date / Time: Saturday, November 19, 2016 • 10 p.m. CT
Site: The Matadome • Northridge, Calif.
Live Video: BigWest.tv
Radio: WLBK 1360-AM, 98.9-FM (DeKalb) • TuneIn
Live Stats: GoMatadors.com 
All-time Series: NIU leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 13, 2015 • NIU 83-71

Huskie Quick Hits
• NIU will take on CSUN for the third time in school history on Saturday night, and the first time the two have met outside of DeKalb.
• Last time out against Idaho, NIU shot 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the field in the second half and 79.2 percent (19-of-24) from the free-throw line. 
• Jaylen Key has been an important contributor to the Huskies early in the 2016-17 campaign, leading NIU in rebounding in all three games this season. 
• The most recent trip for the Huskies to California came during the 2013-14 season when NIU defeated UC Riverside, 71-64 (Dec. 22, 2013). 
• The Huskie frontcourt (defined as Levi Bradley, Sean Damaska, Jaylen Key, Marin Maric and Noah McCarty) has combined to shoot 61.8 percent (47-of-76) from the field through the first three games.
• Aaric Armstead has 107 career steals, one behind Darion "Jake" Anderson (2007-10) whose 108 is 10th in school history.
• NIU's road trip to CSUN will mark the sixth time in head coach Mark Montgomery's six seasons that the Huskies will travel west of the Rocky Mountains, and will be the second trip to the State of California. 
• NIU has signed two players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, Owen Hamilton (Prescott, Wis.) and Tommy Demogerontas (Orland Park, Ill.).

About Cal State Northridge
• The Matadors come into Saturday's contest with a 1-2 record; Cal State Northridge (CSUN) defeated Pomona-Pitzer in its season opener before dropping back-to-back road games at UCLA and Stanford. 
• Four players are scoring in double figures for the Matadors, led by 18.3 points per game from Kendall Smith; Tavrion Dawson (14.0), Darin Johnson (13.7) and Aaron Parks (12.7) are also scoring in double figures. As a team, CSUN is averaging 84.0 points per game while allowing 90.0 points per contest. 
• CSUN was picked to finish third in the Preseason Big West poll; Kendall Smith was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team, he led the Matadors in scoring last season averaging 15.3 points per contest. 
• Reggie Theus is in his fourth season as head coach at CSUN; a two-time NBA All-Star, Theus was previously the head coach at New Mexico State (2005-07) and with the Sacramento Kings (2007-08). 

All-time Series with the Matadors
• NIU will take on CSUN for the third time in school history on Saturday night, and the first time the two have met outside of DeKalb.
• The first meeting between the Huskies and Matadors was a 77-59 NIU victory in DeKalb on Dec. 19, 1983; NIU and CSUN then met in the season opener last year in DeKalb (Nov. 13, 2015), with the Huskies downing the Matadors, 83-71. 
• Five Huskies scored in double figures in last year's opener; Marshawn Wilson had a team-high 16 points, Jaylen Key and Austin Pauga had 15 points, Laytwan Porter added 11 points and Travon Baker chipped in 10 points.
• Making their collegiate debuts, NIU's freshman class a season ago (Levi Bradley, Jaylen Key, Austin Pauga, Laytwan Porter and Marshawn Wilson) combined to score 57 of NIU's 83 points in the 83-71 victory. All 57 points came from off the bench.
• The Huskies made 11 three-point field goals in last season's contest, the second-most triples made during the entire season. NIU made 14 in an 80-69 victory over Ball State on March 4, 2016. 

Huskies Head West
• NIU's road trip to CSUN will mark the sixth time in head coach Mark Montgomery's six seasons that the Huskies will travel west of the Rocky Mountains, and will be the second trip to the State of California. 
• In Montgomery's first season, 2011-12, the Huskies suffered a pair of losses at Boise State (71-57; Nov. 26, 2011) and Utah Valley (58-47; Nov. 28, 2011).
• The following season the Huskies dropped two more games out west, falling at Seattle (75-48; Dec. 19, 2012) and Washington (67-57; Dec. 22, 2012).
• In 2013-14, NIU made its most recent visit to California, as the Huskies defeated UC Riverside, 71-64, on Dec. 22, 2013. Dontel Highsmith poured in 27 points to lead the Huskies to the victory over the Highlanders. 
• After not going west in 2014-15, the Huskies made a trip to Idaho last season (Nov. 28, 2015), downing the Vandals 66-59 behind 17 points and 10 rebounds from Aaric Armstead and 14 points and 11 rebounds from Marin Maric. 
• NIU also finished last season in Las Vegas at the Vegas 16 postseason tournament, where they fell to another member of the Big West, UC Santa Barbara, in the quarterfinals, 70-63 (March 28, 2016). 

A Key for the Huskies 
• Jaylen Key has been an important contributor to the Huskies early in the 2016-17 campaign, leading NIU in rebounding in all three games this season. 
• In the season opener against Indiana State (Nov. 11), Key recorded NIU's first double-double of the season, and the second of his career, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. 
• In the second game of the season against Roosevelt (Nov. 14), Key recorded a career-high 17 points, going a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. 
• Key has been to the free-throw line a team-high 17 times, converting on 12 of those trips (70.6 percent).

Leading from the Front(court)
• NIU's frontcourt players have played a vital role in the success of the Huskies in the opening three games of the season, averaging 41.7 points per game. 
• The Huskie frontcourt (defined as Levi Bradley, Sean Damaska, Jaylen Key, Marin Maric and Noah McCarty) has combined to shoot 61.8 percent (47-of-76) from the field through the first three games
• In contrast, the NIU backcourt is averaging 39.0 points per game, shooting 37.1 percent (36-of-97) from the field. 
• The Huskie backcourt however is averaging 23.7 rebounds per game while the frontcourt is pulling down just 17.7 boards per contest.