DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team concludes its three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, February 1, when the Huskies welcome Miami (Ohio) to the NIU Convocation Center. Game time against the RedHawks is slated for 3 p.m. and will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. 

Saturday's contest is the second game of a NIU basketball doubleheader with the Huskie women's basketball team hosting Buffalo at noon as NIU celebrates its Diversity and Inclusion Day. Tickets for Saturday's doubleheader, and all remaining home games, including flex passes, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).

NIU (12-9, 5-3 MAC) enters Saturday's matchup with a three-game winning streak, the second-longest in the MAC, after downing Ohio, 61-59, on Tuesday night (Jan. 28) at the NIU Convocation Center. Senior Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) scored a career-best 16 points, including NIU's final five, in the victory over the Bobcats. 

Senior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) had 18 points in the victory over Ohio and now has 1,979 points in his NIU career. German is just 17 points behind T.J. Lux's (1995-2000) school scoring record of 1,996 points. 

Freshman Tyler Cochran (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) had his first career double-double on Tuesday night, scoring 12 points with a career best 10 rebounds. Cochran is the only freshman in the Mid-American Conference to record a double-double this season. 

The RedHawks of Miami bring a 9-11 overall record into Saturday's contest, including a 2-5 mark in MAC play. Miami topped Eastern Michigan, 73-68, in Oxford last time out (Jan. 25). Two players are scoring in double figures for Miami, led by Nike Sibande at 14.1 points per game. Dalonte Brown averages 12.1 points per contest while the pair are tied for the team lead with 6.0 rebounds per game.

Saturday's contest is the first of two meetings between the Huskies and RedHawks this season. NIU will travel to Oxford in two weeks on Saturday, February 15. In last year's lone meeting, NIU claimed an 83-70 victory at Miami (Jan. 8, 2019). Dante Thorpe scored 24 points and German added 23 for the Huskies, who shot 57.7 percent (30-of-52) from the field. 

NIU will return to the road on Tuesday night, February 4, when the Huskies travel to Toledo. Tipoff against the Rockets is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+.