DEKALB, Ill. – A visit to Kent State is up next for the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team as the Huskies travel to meet the Golden Flashes on Tuesday, Jan. 11. Game time at Kent State is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN3. 

NIU (3-8, 0-1 MAC) returned to play for the first time in three weeks this past Saturday (Jan. 8) when the Huskies traveled to Toledo, falling to the Rockets. Kaleb Thornton (Bolingbrook, Ill./Iowa Western CC) scored a team-high 12 points for the Huskies while Edward Manuel (Lake Charles, La./Navarro College), making his first career start, scored a career-high 11 points. Manuel became the ninth different Huskie to score in double figures this season. 

Zion Russell (Upper Marlboro, Md./National Christian Academy) had a career-best seven points against the Rockets while Chris Osten (Crowley, La./Arizona State) added a season-high six points. 

NIU enters Tuesday's game ranked third in the Mid-American Conference in three-point defense, as the Huskies are holding opponents to just 30.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Trendon Hankerson (Novi, Mich./Novi) ranks third in the league in steals, averaging 1.8 per game, and eighth in three-point field goals, making 2.1 per contest. 

The Golden Flashes bring a 7-7 overall record into Tuesday's contest, including a 2-2 mark in league play. Kent State is coming off an 80-72 setback at Ohio last time out (Jan. 7). Two players are scoring in double figures for Kent State, led by 17.4 points per game from Sincere Carry. Malique Jacobs adds 12.1 points, and a team-best 6.9 rebounds, per contest.

Kent State won the lone meeting between the two schools last season, topping the Huskies 80-58 in Kent (Feb. 13, 2021). NIU swept the season series two seasons ago, including a 76-69 road victory (Jan. 21, 2020). 

Following Tuesday's game, NIU will return home to host Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 15 in a Huskie basketball doubleheader. The NIU women's team will host Toledo at 1 p.m. followed by the men's game against Eastern Michigan at 3:30 p.m. 

Huskie Flex Plans are now available for the 2021-22 basketball season. Purchase vouchers for $6 each and use them throughout the season to attend Huskie men's and women's basketball home games. Simply redeem vouchers for tickets at the box office prior to the game. Tickets can be purchased online at NIUHuskies.com/MyHuskies or by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).