DEKALB, Ill. – After four consecutive games away from home, the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team returns to the NIU Convocation Center on Tuesday night, Dec. 5, as the Huskies host Indiana State. Tipoff against the Sycamores is scheduled for 7 p.m. 

Tickets for Tuesday's contest are available now online for just $4.90, a 51 percent discount over regularly priced tickets in recognition of NIU's 5-1 record in its last six games. Children 18 and younger can also receive $2 tickets at the NIU Convocation Center Box Office on Tuesday night. 

Tuesday night's matchup features a pair of teams ranked in the most recent College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 as Indiana State is currently 22nd and NIU is 25th. Both teams are also in the top-100 of the NCAA's first net ranking, which was released earlier on Monday. The Sycamores are currently 22nd in the NET while the Huskies are 77th.

NIU brings a 5-2 record into Tuesday's game as it returns to action following a setback last Monday (Nov. 27) at Northwestern. Xavier Amos (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) netted a career-high 26 points against the Wildcats, going 11-of-15 from the field and 4-of-5 from three. 

David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) leads the Huskies in scoring at 19.6 points per game, which ranks third in the MAC and 46th nationally. Coit leads the league in both free throw percentage (93.8 percent) and three-point field goals per game (3.0) and ranks 19th in the country in free throw percentage and 29th in threes per game. 

Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J./Clarendon College) is NIU's second-leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, seventh-best in the MAC. As a team, the Huskies currently rank 16th nationally in free throw attempts (27.0 per game), 17th in fastbreak points (17.0 per game), 31st in scoring (84.6 points per game), 31st in blocks per game (5.3), 37th in field goal percentage (48.9 percent) and 39th in free throws made (17.7 per game).

The Sycamores come to DeKalb with a 7-1 record having won six-straight games, including an 85-77 victory over Bradley last time out (Dec. 2). Four players are scoring in double figures for Indiana State, led by 18.8 points per game from Isaiah Swope. Robbie Avila adds 17.2 points per contest, Ryan Conwell is scoring 15.3 points per game and Jayson Kent chips in 13.6 points per contest. Indiana State is ranked 17th nationally with 17.1 made free throws per game, the Sycamores are also 28th in free throw attempts with 23.0 per contest.

NIU leads the all-time series against Indiana State, 14-7, which includes a 10-0 record all-time at home against the Sycamores. Last season, the Huskies claimed a 67-57 win in Terre Haute (Dec. 22, 2022) behind 32 points and nine rebounds from Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom). 

Following Tuesday's contest, NIU will travel to Monmouth on Saturday, Dec. 9, before returning home to host Calumet College on Monday, Dec. 18. Tickets for all remaining Huskie basketball home games are available now, including the "Holidays with the Huskies" package and the "All MACtion" mini-plan.