DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will make its first ever trip Northern Kentucky when the Huskies visit the Norse on Thursday, December 20. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+.

Thursday's contest is a rematch of a double overtime thriller earlier this season in DeKalb (Nov. 9) when Northern Kentucky escaped with an 88-85 victory. Drew McDonald led the Norse in that contest with 28 points and 14 rebounds while senior Levi Bradley (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI) had 25 points and 12 rebounds for NIU; senior Dante Thorpe (Washington, D.C./Triton College) also added 24 points for the Huskies. 

NIU (6-4) comes into the contest leading the nation in field goal percentage as the Huskies are shooting 52.6 percent from the field as a team. The Huskies have four players that currently rank in the top 15 in the Mid-American Conference in shooting percentage, led by senior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) who ranks fifth at 59.6 percent. Bradley is sixth in the MAC at 58.8 percent, junior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) ranks 13th at 54.5 percent and Thorpe is currently 15th at 53.2 percent. 

Last time out against Western Illinois (Dec. 17), the Huskies ended their nine-day break for finals with a 91-76 victory over the Leathernecks. German scored a team-high 20 points, his 42nd-straight game scoring in double figures, while Bradley added 18 and James picked up his third career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Norse enter Thursday's contest with a 9-3 overall record and will be facing a Mid-American Conference foe for the second consecutive game after defeating Miami (Ohio), 72-66, on Sunday, Dec. 16. Northern Kentucky is a perfect 7-0 at home this season and have not dropped a home contest since Jan. 26, 2018, when they fell to Oakland, 83-70. The Norse have an 11-game home win streak.

Five players are scoring in double figures for Northern Kentucky, led by 18.6 points per game from McDonald who is also the leading rebounder for NKU at 9.3 boards per game. Tyler Sharpe (14.2 ppg), Dantez Walton (11.7 ppg), Jalen Tate (11.6 ppg) and Zaynah Robinson (10.0 ppg) are also scoring in double figures for the Norse.

Following Thursday's contest, the Huskies will have a quick turnaround as they host Chicago State on Saturday, December 22, at 1 p.m. Tickets for Saturday's contest and all NIU home games are available from the NIU Convocation Center Box Office, by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) or by visiting NIUHuskies.com/tickets.