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2018 MAC Basketball Preview: Miami RedHawks at Northern Illinois Huskies

Can the struggling Huskies find a way to win at home?

NCAA Basketball: Miami (OH) at Ohio State Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami RedHawks (12-10, 5-4 MAC) head to DeKalb to take on the struggling Northern Illinois Huskies (10-12, 3-6 MAC) this Saturday.

The RedHawks have won three of their last four and have looked good in those wins, topping opponents by an average of 14 points in that span.

The Huskies, however, have dropped seven of their last ten games but look to build ground and avoid being alone at the bottom of the MAC West.


Game Details

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 3rd, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. CST)
  • Where: Convocation Center - DeKalb, Illinois
  • Watch: ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app

Players to Watch

Nike Sibande, G, Miami - Sibande has been a nice surprise for Miami. The freshman leads the team with 14.2 points per game and has been in double-digits 18 times this year.

Darrian Ringo, G, Miami - Ringo has done it all for the RedHawks this year. His 9.9 points per game is second on the team and his 7.8 assists and 2.7 steals per game don’t just top all Miami players...but lead the MAC entirely!

Eugene German, G, NIU - When you talk about the Huskies, you’re talking about German...the MAC leader in points per game (19.6). He’s dropped 20+ points eleven time this season already and has kept the Huskies in many games this year.

Levi Bradley, G, NIU - If it’s not German doing some damage, it’s Bradley. He’s second on the team with 14.1 points per game and also leads all Huskies with 5.5 rebounds per game.


Prediction

Expect this to be a very tight contest. Miami doesn’t score a whole lot but they don’t give up a whole lot of points either. However, it’s impossible to stop German from scoring in bunches.

NIU will find a way to end their losing streak as they eek out a win late. German will come in clutch with a late triple and Bradley will seal it with a couple free throws.

Miami RedHawks - 64
NIU Huskies - 68