NIU (13-8, 5-3 MAC) vs. Akron (18-3, 8-0 MAC)
Date / Time: Tuesday, January 31, 2017 • 7 p.m. 
Site: NIU Convocation Center • DeKalb, Ill.
TV: ESPN3
Radio: WLBK 1360-AM, 98.9-FM (DeKalb) • TuneIn
Live Stats: NIUHuskies.com 
All-time Series: Akron leads 23-11
Last Meeting: Feb. 13, 2016 • NIU 80-79

Huskie Quick Hits
• NIU has had at least four players score in double figures in six of its first eight conference games, with seven different players reaching double figures in league play. Marin Maric and Jaylen Key have led the way, each reaching double figures in six conference games.
• Over the last three games, NIU is shooting 46.2 percent (79-of-171) from the field, including 39 percent (16-of-41) from three-point range. 
• With his two steals at Toledo (Jan. 28), Aaric Armstead moved into third in NIU history in career steals with 136, 27 behind Ronald Minter (1993-97) for second all-time.  
• Marin Maric is one of just three players (along with Akron's Isiah Johnson and Eastern Michigan's James Thompson) to rank in the top-20 in the league in scoring as well as the top-10 in rebounding and field goal percentage.
• In conference play, the duo of Jaylen Key and Levi Bradley is averaging a combined 18.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per contest. 
• NIU has won five of its last six road games dating back to a December trip to the State of Florida. NIU's five road wins are the most by any team in the MAC and the Huskies are the only team in the conference with a winning record (5-4) on the road. 
• NIU has 63 wins over the last four seasons going back to the beginning of the 2013-14 campaign, the best four-year stretch for the Huskies since winning 64 between 1992-93 and 1995-96. 
• The Huskies are the third-least experienced team in the MAC according to KenPom (1.39 years of experience per minute played). That mark is 282nd in the country. Western Michigan is 299th at 1.27 and Miami is 322nd at 1.13. 

About Akron
• The Zips come to DeKalb with an 18-3 record, including a perfect 8-0 mark in league play. Akron enters Tuesday's contest with an 11-game win streak, with its only blemishes this season coming on the road at Youngstown State, Creighton and Gonzaga.
• Four players score in double figures for the Zips, led by 16.2 points per game from Isaiah Johnson. Kwan Cheatham Jr., adds 12.2 points per contest, Antino Jackson scores 11.1 points per game and Jimond Ivey scores 10.3 points per game.
• The Zips lead the MAC in both field goal percentage (48.6 percent) and three-point percentage (39.1 percent) as well as scoring margin (+9.7). 
• Akron is led by Keith Dambrot, who is in his 13th season as head coach of the Zips; Dambrot has led Akron to at least 21 wins in each of the last 11 seasons.

All-time Series with the Zips
• Akron leads the all-time series against NIU, 23-11, but the Huskies hold a 9-8 edge all-time in DeKalb. 
• The home team has won each of the last five meetings in the series between Akron and NIU, dating back to 2014. The Huskies and Zips have split a pair of meetings in each of the last two seasons. 
• NIU claimed the most recent meeting in the series, 80-79, on Feb. 13, 2016 in DeKalb. Aaric Armstead scored a team-high 21 points while Marin Maric had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Williams led Akron with 22 points from off the bench. 
• Armstead has scored in double figures in all five games he has played against Akron, averaging 13.4 points per game against the Zips.