DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team hosts Coppin State on Friday night, November 14, as the Huskies play the first of three home games in four days. Tipoff in the first all-time meeting between the Huskies and Eagles is slated for 6 p.m.
Friday is Military and First Responder Appreciation Night, all active military personnel, veterans and local first responders can receive a free ticket by showing a valid ID at the NIU Convocation Center Box Office. Fans unable to attend Friday's game can watch it live on ESPN3 or head the radio broadcast on WLBK in DeKalb and WIND in Chicago.
NIU (0-2) returns home after dropping a 70-52 decision on Tuesday night (Nov. 12) at Iowa State. The Huskies led the Cyclones, 34-31, at halftime before Iowa State shot 51.6 percent (16-of-31) in the second half to claim the victory.
Coppin State brings a 1-2 overall record to DeKalb after winning at Loyola-Chicago on Tuesday night, 76-72. Dejuan Clayton led the Eagles with 21 points against the Ramblers, Kamar McKnight added 14 points and Andrew Robinson chipped in 13 points. McKnight is the leading scorer for Coppin State on the season at 14.7 points per contest, Clayton is adding 14.0 points per game and Robinson is scoring 12.3 points per contest.
Juan Dixon is in his third season as head coach of the Eagles, Dixon was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2002 Final Four, helping lead Maryland to a national championship.
The contest against Coppin State, as well as Saturday's meeting with Rockford and Monday's game against Longwood, are all part of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow Presented by AtmosAir, which features 11 different Division I schools throughout the month of November. The event features a unique format with a series of "regionals" across multiple campus sites.
This year's tournament is anchored by Arkansas and Pacific, each hosting four games, along with several additional co-hosts also playing multiple home games such as Montana, South Dakota, Northern Kentucky, NIU and UC Riverside. The event field also includes SIUE, Longwood, Coppin State, and Texas Southern.
Tickets for all remaining home games, including season tickets and flex passes, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).
