DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will close the regular season on Friday night, March 6, when the Huskies host Ball State. Game time against the Cardinals is slated for 7 p.m. and will be available on ESPN3.

Prior to Friday's game, NIU will be honoring its three seniors: Eugene German (Gary, Ind./21st Century Charter), Lacey James (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rider) and Noah McCarty (Rock Falls, Ill./Sterling Newman) playing their final game at the NIU Convocation Center. 

NIU enters its final regular season game with an 18-12 overall record, including an 11-6 mark in Mid-American Conference play. The Huskies clinched at least a share of the MAC West Division crown with their 71-50 victory on Tuesday night (March 3) against Toledo and will win the division outright with a victory over Ball State on Friday. 

German scored a game-high 22 points on Tuesday against the Rockets and currently leads the MAC, and ranks 20th nationally, in scoring at 20.6 points per game. The senior from Gary, Ind., has 2,186 career points, eighth best among active players in NCAA Division I and fifth-most in MAC history. 

James posted his 10th career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds two nights ago against Toledo. James, who currently ranks ninth in the MAC in rebounding, is averaging 8.9 rebounds per game over the last nine contests. 

NIU's 18 wins this season are the sixth-most in program history, making this the third time in head coach Mark Montgomery's tenure that the Huskies have record 17-or-more wins. No other coach in program history has more than two 17-plus win seasons. 

The Cardinals come to DeKalb with a 17-13 overall record, including a 10-7 mark in the MAC, one game behind NIU in the MAC West Division standings. Ball State defeated Central Michigan, 85-68, on Tuesday night (March 3) in its final home game of the regular season. Two players are scoring in double figures for the Cardinals, led by Tahjai Teague's 14.3 points per game, Teague is also the leading rebounder for Ball State at 9.0 per contest. Ishmael El-Amin is Ball State's second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game.

Following Friday's regular season finale, the Huskies will return to action in the MAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NIU's game time and opponent are to be determined.