DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team is set for its lone regular season meeting against Mid-American Conference newcomer UMass as the Minutemen come to the NIU Convocation Center on Saturday, Jan. 17. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the contest will be available on ESPN+ and WDKB 94-9 FM.

Tickets for Saturday's contest, and all remaining NIU basketball games, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets. 

Last time out at Eastern Michigan, Makhai Valentine (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) led the way for NIU with 20 points. Valentine is averaging 18.7 points per game over the last three contests, shooting 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from three-point range. He is also ranked in the top-20 in the MAC in both scoring, where he ranks 18th at 13.5 points per game, and rebounding, where he ranks 17th with 5.7 boards per contest.

Taj Walters (Bronx, N.Y./Moravian Prep) recorded his second double-double of the season at Eastern Michigan with 13 points and 10 rebounds. In conference play, Walters is ranked fifth in the MAC in rebounding with 8.4 boards per game, sixth in free throw percentage (92.3 percent) and fourth in three-point percentage (53.3 percent). He is also averaging 12.0 points per game in league play. 

The Huskies continue to lead the MAC in offensive rebounds, averaging 13.9 per game, which also ranks 21st nationally.

The Minutemen are 11-7 overall, 2-4 in their first season in the MAC. UMass earned an 85-82 victory at Western Michigan (Jan. 13) last time out. Four players score in double figures for UMass, led by Leonardo Bettiol who averages a team-high 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. UMass leads the MAC in three-point defense, holding opponents to 28.9 percent from beyond the arc, which also ranks 22nd nationally. The Minutemen also lead the MAC in rebounding margin at +6.6, which is 44th nationally.

UMass has won each of the three previous meetings between the two programs. The most recent came in Amherst, Mass., on Dec. 14, 2013, an 80-54 win for the then 22nd-ranked Minutemen.

NIU will head back on the road on Tuesday, Jan. 20, as the Huskies visit Ohio in the first of back-to-back road games. NIU will also travel to Ball State (Jan. 24) before returning home on Tuesday, Jan. 27, against Western Michigan.