Former Huskies will attend the men’s basketball game against Central Michigan, Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

After the annual alumni red/black game, the NIU men’s basketball team will face the Chippewas in its third consecutive showdown against a Michigan team.

Sophomore center Sean Kowal said the alumni in attendance will provide extra motivation to win.

“They’ve been through it all, and they know the struggles,” Kowal said. “We’re trying to build a program here, so for all them to come back, it’s an honor to play.”

The Huskies (6-10 overall, 2-2 MAC) are coming off a 72-52 home victory against Eastern Michigan. Post play was the key to the win as the team scored 42 points in the paint. With the victory, NIU matched its 2007-2008 season win total.

“It’s extremely important to keep that momentum,” Kowal said thinking back to the EMU game. “We came out with this fire that enabled us to play well defensively which in turn helped our offense. It’s that fire; it’s big. The games where we don’t come out with that fire are the games we lose.”

CMU is coming off a 61-75 loss to Toledo. The Chippewas fell to 1-3 in conference play and ranks among the bottom of the MAC, sitting last in the conference’s scoring defense (72.5 points a game), defensive field goal percentage (.451) and rebounding margin (-3.1).

Defensively, the Chippewas have been the weakest in the MAC and must matchup with the Huskies’ second-ranked scoring offense. NIU averages 68.1 points a game with lead scorer Jake Anderson putting up 17.1 points a game.

Centers Kowal and Ante Dzepina could have strong games as the Chippewas are better defenders of the outside shot. Both will look to control the game from inside the paint early to give their outside shooters a better chance.

“It’s both mental and physical,” Kowal said of his ability to use his 6-foot-11 frame to dominate under the basket. “You have to know when you can and can’t make a call for the ball. It’s about using your energy and playing smart.”

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