DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's basketball team returns to conference play on Wednesday, Feb. 11, when the Huskies host Bowling Green. Game time against the Falcons is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be available on ESPN+ as well as WDKB 94-9 FM.

NIU was one of just three Mid-American Conference teams to win in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge this past Saturday (Feb. 7) as the Huskies scored a 75-74 victory over Georgia State in Atlanta. Makhai Valentine (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) led the way for the Huskies with 23 points, going 7-of-9 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range. Valentine is averaging 16.4 points per game over the last nine games. He is shooting 41.4 percent (29-of-70) from three and 89.3 percent (25-of-28) from the free-throw line during the last nine. 

Dylan Ducommun (Geneva, Switzerland) added 13 points and a career-best eight assists against Georgia State while Taj Walters (Bronx, N.Y./Moravian Prep) chipped in 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

NIU held Georgia State to just 4-of-20 (20 percent) from beyond the arc last Saturday. The Huskies lead the MAC in three-point defense, holding opponents to 32 percent shooting from three-point range. 

The Falcons come to DeKalb with a 14-10 overall record, including a 5-6 mark in league play. Bowling Green fell at Arkansas State, 91-54, on Saturday (Feb. 7) in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge. Four players score in double figures for Bowling Green, led by 18.7 points per game from Javontae Campbell. Sam Towns adds 12.0 points, Josiah Shackelford is averaging 11.9 points and Mayar Wol chips in 11.6 points per contest. 

Bowling Green leads the MAC, and ranks third nationally, in steals with 10.7 per game. The Falcons are sixth in turnovers forced nationally, leading the conference with 16.1 per contest, and also lead the MAC, and rank eighth nationally, with 18.1 fastbreak points per game.

This will be the 74th all-time meeting between NIU and Bowling Green, and the only scheduled meeting between the two teams this season. Bowling Green has won five-straight against NIU in DeKalb with the last Huskie home win coming on Jan. 23, 2018.

Following tomorrow's contest, NIU will head back on the road for its next two at Central Michigan (Feb. 14) and Buffalo (Feb. 17) before returning home to host Ohio on Saturday, Feb. 21.