Men’s Basketball
Tuesday, Jan. 3: at Akron, 6 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Audio | ESPN+
Saturday, Jan. 7: at Buffalo, 11 a.m. – Live Stats | Live Audio | ESPN+
NIU begins MAC play on Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Huskies visit defending conference tournament champion Akron. NIU is returning to play for the first time since Dec. 22, when the Huskies ended non-conference play with a 67-57 victory at Indiana State. Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) tied career highs with 32 points and nine rebounds in the victory over the Sycamores. Following Tuesday’s contest, the Huskies will remain on the road when they visit Buffalo on Saturday, Jan. 7. Game time against the Bulls is slated for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN+.
Women’s Basketball
Wednesday, Jan. 4: at Central Michigan, 6 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Audio | ESPN+
Saturday, Jan. 7: vs. Toledo, 1 p.m. – Live Stats | Live Audio | ESPN3
NIU will open MAC play on the road this Wednesday at McGuirk Arena against the Central Michigan Chippewas. NIU enters league play with an 8-3 record after an 85-72 loss at IUPUI on Dec. 21. Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) led the Huskies with 17 points and three steals. This is the fourth time in the last seven seasons the Huskies won eight games before MAC play. The Huskies return home on Saturday, Jan. 7 to take on the Toledo Rockets. Tip-off at the NIU Convocation Center is at 1 p.m.
Wrestling
Saturday, Jan. 7: vs. South Dakota State, 3 p.m. – Live Video
Saturday, Jan. 7: at Cal Baptist, 4:30 p.m. – Live Video
The Huskies (4-2) travel west this Saturday as the team looks to pick up two road wins in one day. The squad will face off against South Dakota State (1-2) and Cal Baptist (1-4) in a tri-match at Van Dyne Gym hosted by the Lancers. Most recently, NIU had a strong showing at the historic Ken Kraft Midlands Invitational in Hoffman Estates, Ill. hosted by Northwestern. Blake West and Jaivon Jones made noise in their respective consolation brackets while Izzak Olejnik finished fourth in the 165 division to pace NIU.
Gymnastics
Sunday, Jan. 8: vs. Bowling Green, 2 p.m. – Live Video
The Northern Illinois University gymnastics team opens its 2023 season this Sunday when the Huskies welcome Mid-American Conference foe Bowling Green to the NIU Convocation Center. The meet can be viewed on ESPN+. NIU’s 2023 roster includes six newcomers to college gymnastics, including three Illinois natives, and sophomore transfer Natalia Kraus. Senior Natalie Hamp, a two-time MAC Champion and NCAA Regionals qualifier, leads the returning group. The Huskies are coming off a second-place finish at the 2022 MAC Championships, the fourth consecutive top two finish at the league meet. The Bowling Green meet is the first of four home competitions for NIU in 2023. Admission to the meet is free as are all home gymnastics meets. A complete season outlook on the 2023 Huskies will be available on NIUHuskies.com later this week.