DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team travels to Muncie, Ind., on Saturday, Feb. 15, to take on Ball State. Game time against the Cardinals is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and will be available on will be available on ESPN+ and WDKB 94-9 FM.

NIU heads back on the road following a pair of home games. Last time out against Buffalo, the Huskies fell, 73-67, to the Bulls despite 18 points and seven rebounds from Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic). Jones leads the Huskies in scoring, and ranks second in the Mid-American Conference, at 16.3 points per contest. He has scored in double figures a team-high 21 times, including seven games of 20-plus points.

Quaran McPherson (South Jamaica Queens, N.Y./Link Year Prep) had 17 points and seven rebounds against the Bulls. McPherson ranks 11th in the conference in three-point percentage at 40 percent (32-of-80). In league play, McPherson ranks 17th in the MAC in scoring at 14.4 points per game and 13th in rebounding with 5.8 boards per contest.  

Ethan Butler (Toronto, Ontario/Southwest Academy) netted 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Buffalo. Butler is seventh in the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting 52.3 percent for the season, he is also second in the league in blocks, averaging 1.56 per contest. 

The Cardinals come into Saturday's contest with a 12-12 overall record, 5-6 in league play after outlasting Eastern Michigan, 86-84, in overtime on Tuesday night (Feb. 11). Three players score in double figures for the Cardinals, led by 16.1 points per game from Jermahri Hill. Payton Sparks is averaging 13.2 points per game while Mickey Pearson Jr. is scoring 12.3 points per contest. Ball State ranks ninth in the country in free throw attempts, shooting 26.0 per game, and 10th in free throw makes, averaging 18.1 made free throws per contest.

NIU won the first meeting of the season against Ball State, 76-66, in DeKalb (Jan. 25). Nasir Muhammad (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) scored 19 points while James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) and McPherson both had double-doubles with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. 

Following Saturday's contest, the Huskies will be on the road again on Tuesday, Feb. 18, when they travel to Akron.