NIU (5-5) at Florida International (3-8)
Date / Time: Saturday, December 17, 2016 • 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET)
Site: Lime Court at FIU Arena • Miami, Fla.
TV: CUSA.tv
Radio: WLBK 1360-AM, 98.9-FM (DeKalb) • WYLL 1160-AM (Chicago) • TuneIn
Live Stats: FIUSports.com 
All-time Series: FIU leads 5-4
Last Meeting: Dec. 19, 2015 • NIU 78-75 (2ot)

Huskie Quick Hits
• FIU leads the all-time series with NIU, 5-4, and the Panthers have a 4-1 mark all-time against the Huskies in Miami, but NIU has won three of the last four overall. 
• Saturday's contest is NIU's first trip to the State of Florida since Dec. 17, 2002, when it visited South Florida. The Huskies will visit USF in the second game of their current trip on Tuesday. 
• NIU's last trip to Florida International did not include a game against the host school. The Huskies competed in the FIU Tip-off Classic to open the 2000-01 season (Nov. 17-18, 2000), dropping a pair of games to Hofstra and Belmont. 
• Aaric Armstead has 1,024 career points and is currently 28th on NIU's all-time career scoring list. Armstead also ranks ninth in school history with 115 career steals. 
• Dontel Highsmith is shooting 60 percent from the field over the last four games, averaging 8.0 points per game. 
• Justin Thomas is averaging 10.0 points per game over the last three games, shooting 54.5 percent from the field. Thomas has started each of the last two contests. 
• Eugene German is averaging 9.7 points per game over his last three games played, shooting 61.9 percent from the field. 
• NIU and FIU went to double overtime last season in DeKalb, a 78-75 Huskie victory. NIU has played three double overtime games during head coach Mark Montgomery's tenure, including an 85-80 setback this season against Elon (Nov. 25, 2016). 

About Florida International
• The Panthers come into Saturday's contest with a 3-8 overall record following a 75-68 setback against Georgia Southern on Thursday night (Dec. 15). FIU is 3-1 at home this season. 
• Donte McGill leads three players scoring in double figures for the Panthers at 19.9 points per game. Michael Kessens is averaging a double-double at 14.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per contest while Eric Nottage chips in 10.7 points per game. 
• As a team, FIU is shooting 74.3 percent from the free-throw line, 51st in the country. 
• Anthony Evans is in his fourth season as head coach at FIU; Evans came to Miami from Norfolk State, where he led the Spartans to their two highest win totals as a Division I program. 

All-time Series with the Panthers
• FIU leads the all-time series with NIU, 5-4, and the Panthers have a 4-1 mark all-time against the Huskies in Miami. 
• NIU has won each of the last two meetings, including a 78-75 double overtime win last season in DeKalb (Dec. 19, 2015). The first of the two wins was also an overtime victory, 98-92, on Nov. 20, 1999, NIU's only win in the series in Miami. The Huskies have won three of the last four overall in the series. 
• Marin Maric led four Huskies in double figures with 17 points and 11 rebounds in last season's double overtime win. Chuks Iroegbu added 15 points, Aaric Armstead had 13 and Travon Baker scored 12 points. 
• Donte McGill scored a game-high 23 points in last season's meeting. 

Coming Of Age
• NIU's two freshman point guards, Justin Thomas and Eugene German, have become more productive as they have gained college experience. 
• Thomas is averaging 10.0 points per game over the last three games, shooting 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field. Thomas scored a career-best 12 points at Indiana State (Nov. 30) and moved into the starting lineup in the next game at Minnesota (Dec. 11), becoming NIU's first freshman this season to start. 
• German is averaging 9.7 points per game over his last three contests, shooting 61.9 percent (13-of-21) from the floor. German scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting against UIC (Nov. 26). German missed NIU's game at Minnesota (Dec. 11). 
• In NIU's last four games (since UIC on Nov. 26), the two freshmen point guards have combined to average 15.8 points per game, shooting 59.1 percent (26-of-44) from the field.