DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team will host Western Michigan on Tuesday night, Jan. 27, in the lone meeting this season between the two teams. Game time against the Broncos is scheduled for 7 p.m. and tickets are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets. 

Tuesday's contest is the lone home game in a five-game stretch for the Huskies that began last Tuesday (Jan. 20) at Ohio and continues through the second leg of this season's MAC/Sun Belt Challenge at Georgia State on Saturday, Feb. 7. Tuesday's game against Western Michigan will be available on ESPN+ as well as WDKB 94-9 FM.

NIU played its third consecutive game decided by five points or less on Saturday (Jan. 24) as the Huskies fell at Ball State, 58-53. Gianni Cobb (Chicago, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor) had 11 points to pace NIU. In the last four games since returning to the starting lineup, Cobb is averaging 10.3 points, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 83.3 percent (15-of-18) from the free-throw line.

Makhai Valentine (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 14 games. Valentine is NIU's leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, which ranks 17th in the MAC, and ranks 18th in the MAC with 5.4 rebounds per game.

The Huskies rank first in the MAC in offensive rebounds, averaging 13.6 per game, which also ranks 26th nationally.

The Broncos bring an 8-12 overall record to DeKalb, including a 2-6 mark in league play. Western Michigan defeated Central Michigan, 77-65, last time out (Jan. 24) in Kalamazoo. Three players score in double figures for Western Michigan, led by 18.6 points from Justice Williams. Jalen Griffith is scoring 14.3 points per contest, and Jayden Brewer adds 13.3 points, and a team-high 7.3 rebounds, per game. 

This will be the 105th all-time meeting between NIU and Western Michigan. The Broncos have won each of the last three meetings against NIU, including a 74-70 win in DeKalb in the last meeting (March 1, 2025).

Following Tuesday's contest, the Huskies will head back on the road as they travel to 24th-ranked Miami on Saturday, Jan. 31.