DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will welcome Monmouth to the NIU Convocation Center on Tuesday night, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. The contest will be available on ESPN+ and 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb. 

Please note the earlier, 6 p.m. start time for NIU men's basketball weeknight home games this season. Tickets for Thursday's contest, and all NIU Basketball games, including season tickets, are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets. 

Tuesday's contest is Hometown Heroes Night and complimentary tickets are available for current military members and veterans via VetTix.org.

NIU picked up its first win of the season last time out as the Huskies topped Holy Cross (Ind.), 105-37. Five Huskies scored in double figures, led by 14 points each from Ethan Butler (Toronto, Ontario/Southwest Academy), James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) and Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic). Quaran McPherson (South Jamaica Queens, N.Y./Link Year) added 13 points while Kailon Nicholls (Toronto, Ontario/Hargrave Military Academy) chipped in 10 points.

The 37 points allowed in the game, and 16 points allowed in the second half, are the fewest points allowed in a game and a half during Rashon Burno's tenure. The last time NIU allowed fewer than 37 points in a game came on Jan. 12, 2014, in a 45-36 win at Bowling Green.

NIU's 105 points against Holy Cross (Ind.) marked the first time the Huskies have reached the century mark since Nov. 13, 2023, when NIU topped Illinois Tech, 107-55. NIU has scored 100-or-more points nine times since 2000.

Monmouth comes to DeKalb looking for its first victory of the season as the Hawks after opening with setbacks against Michigan State and Temple. Abdi Bashir Jr. leads Monmouth in scoring at 15.0 points per contest, Madison Durr is adding 14.5 points per game while Cornelius Robinson III is averaging 9.0 rebounds per contest. 

Jaret Valencia was named to the All-Coastal Athletic Association Preseason Second Team while Jack Collins received honorable mention recognition. The Hawks posted an 18-15 record a season ago, including a 10-8 mark in CAA play, finishing tied for sixth in the league.

This will be the second all-time meeting between NIU and Monmouth. Last year, the Hawks topped NIU, 74-71, in New Jersey (Dec. 9, 2023) when Jakari Spence banked in a triple at the buzzer to give Monmouth the three-point victory.

Following Tuesday's contest, NIU will play the first of four games against the Missouri Valley Conference when it travels to Bradley on Saturday, Nov. 16, for the first meeting between the Huskies and Braves since 2010. Tip time at Bradley is scheduled for 7 p.m.