DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team returns to action on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 9, as the Huskies travel to West Long Branch, N.J. to face Monmouth. Game time against the Hawks is slated for 1 p.m. CT and will be available on FloSports, as well as SportsNet New York and NBC Sports Philadelphia. 

Huskie fans can hear the NIU radio call on 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb, along with the NIU Huskies app and the Varsity Network app. 

NIU brings a 5-3 overall record into Saturday's contest, the Huskies rank 48th nationally averaging 82.4 points per game. David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) leads the Huskies, and is third in the Mid-American Conference, averaging 18.8 points per game. Coit is 17th in the country in free throw percentage (93.8 percent) and 32nd in triples made per game (3.0), both of which lead the MAC. 

Xavier Amos (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) has scored in double figures in five of the last six games and is averaging 17.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over the last four. Amos is shooting 63.4 percent (26-of-41) from the field, and 64.7 percent from three (11-of-17), during that stretch. 

NIU is playing its fifth game in the last six away from home, with the only home contest in that stretch coming last time out against Indiana State (Dec. 5). 

Monmouth comes into Saturday's matchup with a 4-4 overall record, including a 1-1 home mark, and is coming off a 91-87 setback at Cornell last time out (Nov. 29). Two players are scoring in double figures for the Hawks, led by 20.9 points per game from Xander Rice, Jack Collins adds 11.6 points per game. 

Saturday's contest is the first all-time meeting between NIU and Monmouth and the first game for the Huskies in the State of New Jersey. 

Following Saturday's contest, the Huskies will return home to host Calumet College on Monday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader; the NIU women's basketball team will face Eastern Illinois at 5 p.m. Tickets for all remaining Huskie basketball home games are available now, including the "Holidays with the Huskies" package and the "All MACtion" mini-plan.