DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team makes its first road trip of 2021 when it travels to Ohio on Tuesday, January 5. Game time against the Bobcats is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and will be available ESPN+. 

NIU comes into Tuesday's matchup with a four-game in streak in the series against Ohio. NIU's last visit to Athens came exactly two years before this season's visit (Jan. 5, 2019 as the Huskies claimed a 72-66 overtime win to begin the current four-game win streak in the series. 

Junior Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) made his collegiate debut in that contest, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range. 

Junior Darius Beane (Carbondale, Ill./Southern Illinois) led the Huskies in scoring last time out with 13 points against Bowling Green (Jan. 2), he has scored in double figures a team-high six times this season. Beane also ranks in the top-15 in the Mid-American Conference in two categories as he is tied for 13th in the conference in offensive rebounds with 2.0 per game and ranks 14th in steals with 1.6 per contest.

The Bobcats enter Tuesday's contest with a 5-4 overall record, including a 1-2 conference mark, after winning at Ball State, 78-68, last time out (Jan. 2). Five players are averaging in double figures for Ohio, led by 18.9 points per game from Jason Preston. Dwight Wilson averages 15.3 points per contest, Ben Vander Plas adds 12.4 points per game, Ben Roderick is chipping in 11.9 points per contest and Lunden McDay is averaging 10.2 points per game.

NIU interim head coach Lamar Chapman, who will be making his debut on Tuesday night, was an assistant coach for Ohio head coach Jeff Boals at Stony Brook during the 2016-17 season. 

Following Tuesday's contest, the Huskies will return to the road on Saturday, January 9 when they travel to Miami. Game time against the RedHawks is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.