DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will be back on the road on Monday, Nov. 10, when the Huskies visit Grand Canyon for the first all-time meeting with the Lopes. Game time from Phoenix is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network and also available on WDKB 94-9 FM.
NIU (1-1) is coming off a 97-72 setback at 24th-ranked Wisconsin on Friday (Nov. 7).
JJ Taylor (Chicago, Ill./San Ysidro) made the first start of his collegiate career against the Badgers and netted a career-high 17 points.
Jao Ituka (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) came off the bench and scored in double figures for the second consecutive game with 13 points.
Gianni Cobb (Chicago, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) had three assists and one turnover against Wisconsin. For the season, Cobb has recorded 13 assists with just one turnover.
The Lopes bring a 1-1 record into Monday's contest after opening the season with a 90-71 win over Purdue Fort Wayne (Nov. 3), followed by a 90-81 setback against Youngstown State (Nov. 7). Grand Canyon is in its first season as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Lopes were picked to finish fourth in the league's preseason poll.
Last season, Grand Canyon went 26-8, winning the WAC regular season and tournament titles. The Lopes fell to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
This will be the first all-time meeting between NIU and Grand Canyon. The Lopes are one of four first-time opponents for NIU this season, along with ULM (Nov. 3), who the Huskies defeated in the season opener 102-82, Bellarmine (Nov. 29) and Lindenwood (Dec. 2).
NIU is making its first trip to the State of Arizona since Nov. 29, 1974, when the Huskies fell, 103-85, to Arizona in Tucson.
Following Monday's contest, NIU will return home as it hosts Benedictine on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m.
Season tickets for the 2025-26 Huskie men's basketball campaign are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com. Reserved seats are available for $120 with general admission tickets available for just $80, courtside seats and Nelson Club access are also available. For more information, contact the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225) weekdays between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or via email at huskiestickets@niu.edu.
