After defeating second-place Toledo on Tuesday night, the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team will travel to take on first-place Akron on Saturday, March 2. Game time in Akron is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and will be available on ESPN+, along with 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb, the NIU Huskies app and the Varsity Network app.
David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) scored 27 points in Tuesday’s win at Toledo, he is now just 33 points shy of 1,000 in his Huskie career. Coit would become just the fourth player in NIU history to reach 1,000 career points in two seasons, joining Kenny Battle (1984-86), Jim Bradley (1971-73) and Xavier Silas (2009-11).
Will Lovings-Watts (Jeffersonville, Ind./Putnam Science) recorded his first career double-double in the win over the Rockets. Lovings-Watts becomes the first NIU freshman to post a double-double since Tyler Cochran had 12 points and 10 rebounds against Ohio on Jan. 28, 2020.
Oluwasegun Durosinmi (Lagos, Nigeria/St. Bonaventure) netted a career-high 12 points last time out against Toledo, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field. Durosinmi becomes the 11th different Huskie to score in double figures this season.
The Zips bring a 20-8 record into Saturday’s contest, including a 12-3 mark in league play to sit in first place in the MAC. Akron is a perfect 12-0 at home this season. Three players score in double figures for Akron, led by Enrique Freeman at 18.1 points per game. Freeman also averages 12.9 rebounds per game, which leads the country, and has a nation’s best 24 double-doubles. Ali Ali averages 15.6 points per contest while Greg Tribble adds 11.0 points per game.
Akron is ranked 25th nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 65.3 points per game, and 26th in three-point defense, holding opponents to 30.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The Zips won the first meeting this season, 73-51, in DeKalb (Jan. 2). Freeman led Akron with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Coit paced the Huskies with 21 points.
Following Saturday’s contest, NIU will return home for the final time this season as the Huskies host Central Michigan on Tuesday, March 5. Tipoff against the Chippewas is scheduled for 7 p.m.