DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will head on the road for the first time in Mid-American Conference play when the Huskies travel to Athens, Ohio, on Saturday, Jan. 6, to meet the Ohio Bobcats. Game time is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., CT and will be available on ESPN3.
NIU (8-6, 1-0 MAC) heads to Ohio on the heels of a 75-61 victory over Kent State on Tuesday (Jan. 2) to open league play. Junior
Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) scored 25 points and tied a career-high with 14 rebounds for his sixth career double-double to lead the way against the Golden Flashes.
Bradley went 14-of-14 from the free-throw line against Kent State and is shooting 87 percent for the season, fourth-best in the MAC and 62nd nationally.
Sophomore
Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) added 20 points while junior
Dante Thorpe (Washington, D.C./Triton College) chipped in 17 points. The Huskies held Kent State to just three field goals in the final 11 minutes of the contest and improved to 7-0 when holding opponents under 70 points this season.
The Bobcats have a 7-6 overall record after falling on the road in their MAC opener at Central Michigan, 75-50. Ohio is 6-1 at home this season and has four players scoring in double figures, led by 16.1 points per game from Mike Laster. Teyvion Kirk adds 14.2 points per game, Jordan Dartis is averaging 13.8 points per contest and Kevin Mickle is scoring 11.0 points per game. The Bobcats are averaging just 15.2 fouls per game, the second-best mark in the MAC and 16th in the country.
NIU will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak against Ohio. The last Huskie victory in the series came on Jan. 6, 2016, an 80-69 win in DeKalb. The last time NIU won in Athens was a 70-60 triumph on Jan. 7, 2015,
Aaric Armstead led four Huskies in double figures that day with 17 points.
Following its trip to Athens, the NIU will remain on the road as the Huskies visit Bowling Green on Tuesday, Jan. 9. NIU will return home on Saturday, Jan. 13, when the Huskies host Eastern Michigan. Tickets are on sale now through the NIU Athletics Ticket Office in the Convocation Center, by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) or online at NIUHuskies.com. Reserved lower bowl seats are just $10 while general admission is available for $8.
