Huskies record (4-10, 1-1 MAC); Eagles record (5-9, 1-1 MAC)

Coach Says:

Eastern Michigan head coach Charles Ramsey said the match-up between the Huskies and the Eagles will be tough for both teams.

“Northern’s been playing the best they have been playing all year,” Ramsey said. “Hopefully we can score two more points than they do when it comes down to the buzzer.”

NIU head coach Ricardo Patton believes the team must stay consistent in order to win games.

“To be a consistently good basketball team you need more than a couple guys to show up,” Patton said. “We need each guy to kind of bring something to the party.”


Key Players

Shaun Logan will be one of the players to watch against the Eagles. “Logan has been our most consistent guy in terms of how he has played,” Patton said.
Logan has shown great consistency from three-point range. The senior is shooting 43.8 percent behind the arc and is currently on a 10-game streak in which he has sunk at least one three pointer.

Eastern Michigan players Carlos Medlock and Jesse Bunkley may pose a threat to the Huskie defense, as Medlock leads the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game. Bunkley follows with an average of 11.5 points per game and ranks second in the MAC in three-point shooting.


Last time out

The Huskies are coming off a big win against MAC West opponent Toledo Jan. 13. In the 78-62 win against the Rockets, NIU bench players combined for 62 of the 78 points tallied. Juniors Jarvis Nichols and Sean Smith both broke personal scoring highs with 21 and 18, repectively, and sophomore Bristan Kelley tied his career best with 11. Patton hopes his team can stay consistent with their scoring in tonight’s game.

“If you make your shots, I don’t care who you are, you have a chance to win games,” Patton said.

The Eagles rolled over MAC and interstate rival Western Michigan Jan. 12. In the 81-71 win, two players recorded double-double scoring and rebounding, and the team had a season-high five players reach the double figure mark in scoring. Ramsey said that his team is preparing for the tough zone defense run by the Huskies and hopes to see his players continue playing good basketball.

“[The Huskies] have been doing a great job of pushing the basketball and forcing teams into turnovers,” Ramsey said. “We are out to limit those turnovers.”


Key Stat:

Eastern Michigan ranks third in the MAC in three-point field goals made, averaging 7.86 three-pointers per game. The Eagles also rank second in the MAC in free throw shooting, sinking 72.5 percent from the line.

NIU ranks dead last in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense, which may be a costly factor in tonight’s game.

“Most games come down to those teams that make the fewest mistakes,” Patton said. “Our focus has to be on us doing what we do.”

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