DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team travels to Kent State on Saturday afternoon, January 19, for the lone regular season meeting between the Huskies and Golden Flashes. Saturday's contest is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3, please note the afternoon tip-off is a change from the originally scheduled evening start due to expected winter weather in Northeast Ohio. 

NIU (10-7, 3-1 MAC) had its perfect start to conference play ended on Tuesday (Jan. 15) when the Huskies fell at home to Central Michigan, 78-69. The Huskies were within one with four minutes remaining before a late surge gave the Chippewas a nine-point victory. 

The Huskies will travel to Kent State ranked eighth in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 50.3 percent from the field as a team. Senior Dante Thorpe (Washington, D.C./Triton College) is shooting 54.5 percent individually, he ranks 65th nationally in field goal percentage and 10th in the country among guards. 

NIU also ranks second in the MAC, and 38th nationally, in three-point percentage, shooting 38.1 percent. Junior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) is shooting 44.2 percent from three-point range, 28th-best in the country, and is making 3.07 triples per contest, tops in the MAC and 46th nationally. 

Kent State will enter Saturday's matchup with a 13-4 overall record, including a 2-2 mark in league play following a 66-52 win at Ohio this past Tuesday (Jan. 15). Four players are scoring in double figures for the Golden Flashes, led by Jaylin Walker at 21.8 points per game. Jalen Avery adds 12.6 points per contest, Antonio Williams is averaging 11.2 points per game and Philip Whittington is scoring 10.0 points per game. 

Close games have been the story of recent meetings between the Huskies and the Golden Flashes as six of the last nine meetings have been decided by four points or less. The last four meetings at Kent State in the series have been decided by a total of eight points. 

Following Saturday's game, NIU will return home on Tuesday night, January 22, as the Huskies host 16th-ranked Buffalo. Tip-off against the Bulls is slated for 7 p.m., and tickets are available from the NIU Convocation Center Box Office, by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) or by visiting NIUHuskies.com/tickets.