DEKALB, Ill. – The first of two straight road games for the Northern Illinois University men's basketball team takes place Saturday afternoon, Feb. 1, as the Huskies travel to Toledo to face the Rockets. Tipoff in the Glass City is slated for 1 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+ and WDKB 94-9 FM.

NIU goes back on the road following a split of two home games against Ball State and Akron. Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) continues to lead the Huskies in scoring at 16.2 points per game, fourth-best in the Mid-American Conference. Jones also ranks seventh in the league with 3.5 assists per game. Over his last six contests, Jones is averaging 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, shooting 51.3 percent (41-of-80) from the field and 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from three.   

James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) ranks in the top-20 in the MAC in scoring, rebounding and assists. He is currently 16th in scoring (13.6 ppg), 17th in rebounding (5.4 rpg) and 15th in assists (2.95 apg). 

NIU ranks third in the MAC averaging 9.15 triples per contest. In league play, NIU is second in the MAC, making 9.75 threes per game. The Huskies have made 10-or-more three-point field goals 10 times this season, including six of the last nine games.

The Rockets bring a 12-8 overall record into Saturday's game, including a 6-2 mark in league play. Toledo has won its last two games, both on the road, against Bowling Green (Jan. 24) and Ohio (Jan. 28). Four players score in double figures for Toledo, led by Sonny Wilson at 15.3 points per game. The Rockets are 18th in the country in turnovers, committing just 9.9 per game, best in the MAC.

NIU is 5-4 in its last nine games at Toledo, dating back to Feb. 25, 2015, including a 75-72 victory last season (Feb. 27, 2024) when Steven Tipton (Brookfield, Wis./Brookfield Central) made a pair of free throws with 16.6 seconds left to help seal a three-point win for NIU.

Following Saturday's game, the Huskies will be back in action in Northwest Ohio on Tuesday, Feb. 4, when they visit Bowling Green. NIU will return home on Saturday, Feb. 8, when it hosts Louisiana-Lafayette in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge at 1 p.m. Tickets are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at (815) 753-PACK (7225).