DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team plays two road games in three days this week, beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 30, with a trip to Eastern Illinois. Game time against the Panthers is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be available on ESPN+, 94-9 WDKB and the Varsity Network app. The Huskies will then head to Idaho for a matchup against the Vandals on Friday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. CT.

Last time out, NIU (2-5) dropped a narrow, 83-76 decision at Northern Iowa (Nov. 26). The Huskies trailed by just two with two minutes to play before a 7-0 burst helped UNI hold off the Huskies. Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) scored a team-high 28 points against the Panthers, his second consecutive game with 28 points. Williams is currently fifth in the Mid-American Conference in scoring at 18.6 points per game. 

David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) had 14 points while Armandas Plintauskas (Kedainiai, Lithuania) came off the bench to score a career-best 12 points at Northern Iowa, going a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range. Coit is averaging 14.6 points per game, 14th-best in the MAC.

Eastern Illinois brings a 1-6 overall record into Wednesday's contest after dropping a 67-58 decision to Alabama State in Athens, Ohio at the Bobcat Battle on Saturday (Nov. 26). Eastern Illinois also faced Ohio the previous day in the event, falling 78-67 (Nov. 25). Kinyon Hodges is averaging a team-best 11.1 points per game, along with a team-high 4.7 rebounds per contest. Yaakema Rose is also scoring in double figures at 10.7 points per game.

When the Huskies and Panthers met last season, Williams led all scorers with 24 points for NIU as the Huskies claimed a 55-45 victory in DeKalb (Dec. 1, 2021). 

Idaho has a 2-5 record after splitting a pair of games against Cal Poly and Pacific last weekend at the California Thanksgiving Jam. Isaac Jones leads the way for Idaho at 20.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Divant'e Moffitt adds 16.6 points per contest while Terren Frank is averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. 

The Huskies have won all three of their previous meetings with the Vandals, including a 66-59 victory on Nov. 28, 2015, in the only previous meeting in Moscow, Idaho. 

Following its trip to Idaho, NIU will return to the Pacific Northwest on Monday, Dec. 12, when the Huskies travel to meet 14th-ranked Gonzaga. Game time against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.