DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team returns home to the NIU Convocation Center on Tuesday afternoon, January 12, as the Huskies host Akron at 2 p.m. Please note the time change which was made last Friday (Jan. 8) to an afternoon tip, the contest will be available on ESPN+.
NIU is back in DeKalb following a 70-58 setback at Miami on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 9), junior
Chinedu Kingsley Okanu (Gary, Ind./Vincennes University) scored a career-high 12 points against the RedHawks on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. Junior
Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) had a team-best 16 points against Miami.
The Huskies shot a season-best 47.7 percent (21-of-44) from the floor against Miami and are shooting 46.6 percent from the field as a team over the last two games, including 42.1 percent from three-point range.
Hankerson, who is ranked 13th in the MAC in triples made with 1.9 per game, is shooting 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from three-point range in the last two contests.
Akron comes to DeKalb with a 4-2 overall record, 2-1 in MAC play. The Zips are coming off a 71-59 setback at Eastern Michigan on Saturday (Jan. 9). Loren Cristian Jackson leads the Zips in scoring at 22.8 points per game, he is the only player scoring in double figures for Akron. Enrique Freeman is the second-leading scorer for the Zips at 9.5 points per contest, he is also averaging a team-best 8.5 rebounds per game.
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.
Following Tuesday's home matinee, the Huskies will return to the road as they visit Ball State on Saturday afternoon, January 16.
