DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team returns home on Tuesday night, March 3, when the Huskies begin the final week of the regular season with a home date against Toledo. Tipoff against the Rockets is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be available on ESPN+. 

Tuesday night is Space Jam Night with NIU students able to enter a raffle to win a Space Jam jersey. Tickets for both of NIU's remaining home games are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).

The Huskies enter the week with a 17-12 overall record, including a 10-6 mark in the Mid-American Conference, and maintain a one game lead over Ball State in the MAC West Division standings with two games to go. 

NIU is back home for those final two games after dropping a narrow, 72-69 decision at Western Michigan on Saturday (Feb. 29). Senior Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter) scored a game-high 23 points, including a pair of three-pointers to give him 236 made triples in his Huskie career, passing Todd Peterson (235; 2002-06) for the NIU career record. 

German is averaging a league-best 20.5 points per game, which also ranks 20th nationally, and is sixth in MAC history, and eighth among active players in NCAA Division I, with 2,164 career points. 

Senior Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) and sophomore Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois) each added 11 points on Saturday against the Broncos. In 12 games since entering the starting lineup, Beane is averaging 9.0 points per game, shooting 46.7 percent from the floor. 

Junior Zaire Mateen (Queens, N.Y./Laramie County CC) has also given the Huskies a recent lift as he is averaging 8.4 points per game in the last five games. Mateen is ranked ninth in the league in three-point shooting (38.5 percent) and sixth in conference play (41 percent). 

Toledo brings a 15-14 overall record, including a 7-9 mark in MAC play, into Tuesday's contest. The Rockets have won three-straight games, including a 69-63 win against Ball State on Saturday (Feb. 29). Four players are scoring in double figures for the Rockets, led by Marreon Jackson at 19.7 points per game. Luke Knapke adds 16.2 points per contest, Willie Jackson averages 11.8 points, and a league-high 11.8 rebounds, per game while Spencer Littleson chips in 10.6 points per game.

NIU will close the regular season on Friday night, March 6, as the Huskies host Ball State. Game time against the Cardinals is slated for 7 p.m.