DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will welcome Chicago State to the NIU Convocation Center on Friday evening, December 18, as the Huskies wrap up the non-conference portion of their 2020-21 schedule. Tip time between the Huskies and Cougars is slated for 6 p.m. and the contest will be available on ESPN3. 

NIU returns home after falling at third-ranked Iowa on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 13). Junior Adong Makuoi (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada/Daytona State College) scored a career-best 14 points against the Hawkeyes on 7-of-10 shooting. Makuoi, who ranks 13th in the Mid-American Conference in free throw shooting at 83.3 percent, has averaged 9.7 points per contest over the last three games, shooting 66.7 percent from the field during that stretch. 

Junior Zool Kueth (Gallatin, Tenn./Pratt CC) had career highs in both points and rebounds against the Hawkeyes, netting seven points to go along with five rebounds, while junior Anthony Crump (Inkster, Mich./Middle Tennessee State) tied his career-high with 10 points at Iowa. 

Friday's contest marks the 27th all-time meeting between NIU and Chicago State, with the Huskies winning each of the first 26 meetings. Last season, NIU earned a 75-60 victory over the Cougars in Chicago (Dec. 20, 2019). 

Chicago State comes to DeKalb with a 0-7 overall record after falling at Illinois State on Tuesday (Dec. 15). The Cougars have played all seven contests away from home this season. Xavier Johnson leads Chicago State in scoring at 9.7 points per game, he is shooting 80 percent from the free-throw line, having gone to the charity stripe a team-best 20 times. Levelle Zeigler is just behind Johnson at 9.6 points per contest.

Although fans are unable to attend NIU basketball games this season, you can still make your presence felt in the NIU Convocation Center by purchasing a cutout as part of the "Huskie Howl" presented by First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO). For just $60, fans can put their image on a cutout that will remain in place in the NIU Convocation Center for all NIU men's and women's basketball games during the 2020-21 season. Net proceeds from all fan cutouts will benefit the Huskie Athletic Fund.