After a weekend off, the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team closes its current three-game homestand on Tuesday night, Jan. 23, when the Huskies welcome Toledo to the NIU Convocation Center. Tipoff against the Rockets is slated for 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s contest will be available on ESPN+ as well as 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb, the NIU Huskies app and the Varsity Network app. Tickets for Tuesday’s game are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets.

The Huskies are returning to action for the first time in a week as last time out NIU made a season-high 13 triples in an 83-76 setback against Kent State (Jan. 16). The 13 threes continued a trend of hot shooting from beyond the arc as NIU is shooting 42.7 percent from three, averaging 11.0 triples per game, over the last four contests.

During that stretch, David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) is 15-of-37 (40.5 percent) from three, Xavier Amos (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) is 13-of-25 (52 percent) from three and Philmon Gebrewhit (Boston, Mass./DePaul) is 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from three.

Coit ranks 18th nationally in three-point field goals per game (3.12), 39th in scoring (19.4 ppg) and 65th in free throw percentage (86.5 percent). Coit is the only Huskie to score in double figures in all 17 games this season.

Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J./Clarendon College) returned to action against Kent State after missing three games due to injury. Nutter is currently 11th in the MAC in scoring (14.9 ppg) and tied for 17th in rebounding (5.0 rpg).

The Rockets come to DeKalb with an 11-7 overall record and a 5-1 conference mark. Toledo suffered its first league loss last time out (Jan. 19) as it fell at Central Michigan, 65-62. Four players score in double figures for Toledo, led by 16.3 points per game from Ra’Heim Moss. Dante Maddox Jr. adds 15.8 points per contest, Tyler Cochran is averaging 12.8 points, and a team-best 6.6 rebounds, per game while Javan Simmons adds 11.9 points per contest.

Toledo has won each of the last four meetings in the series, including an 84-67 win in the only meeting last season (Jan. 14, 2023). Maddox Jr. had 18 points to lead Toledo while Darweshi Hunter netted a game-high 22 for the Huskies.

Following Tuesday’s contest, the Huskies will head on the road for their next two games, beginning with a trip to Muncie, Ind., to face Ball State on Saturday, Jan. 27.