The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team will take on Sam Houston on Tuesday, Nov. 22, in the Rocket Mortgag; e Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. Game time against the Bearcats is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT, a free live stream will be available at FSWBucs.com, along with the radio broadcast on 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb and The Varsity Network app.
Last time out, NIU fell at Georgia Tech, 68-50, despite Zarique Nutter’s (Newark, N.J./Clarendon College) first career double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Nutter’s 15 boards are the most by a Huskie since March 5, 2019, when Lacey James grabbed 19 at Central Michigan.
Nutter is one of three Huskies scoring in double figures, led by Keshawn Williams (Chicago Heights, Ill./Tulsa) at 16.3 points per game. David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) is averaging 15.3 points per contest while Nutter is averaging a double-double at 15.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Williams and Coit are also tied for the team lead with 3.0 assists per contest.
Tuesday and Wednesday’s games continue NIU’s eight-game road swing that will see the Huskies travel approximately 16,000 miles while playing in seven states and three time zones. The trip began with last week’s game at Georgia Tech.
Sam Houston comes to Florida with a 4-0 overall record after winning at Utah, 65-55, last time out (Nov. 17). The Bearkats also have a victory at Oklahoma this season. Que Grant leads Sam Houston in scoring at 13.3 points per game.
This will be the second all-time meeting between NIU and Sam Houston. The Bearkats won the only previous meeting, 80-73, on Nov. 30, 2001, in Milwaukee, Wis., at Marquette’s Blue and Gold Coca-Cola Classic. Last season, the Huskies and Bearkats were both part of The Jacksonville Classic but did not face each other.
NIU will face either Long Island or South Dakota on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off. The third-place game will take place at 10 a.m. CT while the championship game is slated for 12:30 p.m. CT.
