It’s official. All the talk about the men’s basketball teams’ road woes can end.

“You can stop talking about it now,” said head-Huskie Jim Molinari.

The questions about why the Huskies couldn’t win on the road were raised as NIU struggled to an 0-6 road record to start the season. With this weekend’s 48-45 victory over Lamar in Beaumont, Texas, the Huskies have improved their away-game record to 3-8.

The latest road win was the toughest. NIU totaled its second-lowest point output of the season and shot only 36 percent, but the Huskies’ defensive effort made the 48 points good enough for another notch in the win column.

“In basketball, you don’t always shoot well,” said Molinari. “But you always have to keep your defense at a certain level. We’re 5th in the country in team defense this week (and) I’m really proud of our young guys. (Lamar) was a really good win for us.”

Lamar’s 45 points was the lowest total for an NIU opponent this season. A 60-44 Huskie win over Ohio in 1980 was the last time NIU held an opponent to 45 points or less. Donald Whiteside also set a season record at Lamar.

Whiteside’s 10 three-point attempts broke his own previous season-high of nine attempts against Missouri-Kansas City. The 5-foot-10 junior guard connected on three of his attempts and finished as the second-leading Huskie scorer with 11 points.

Donnell “D-Train” Thomas led NIU in scoring for the 17th time this season with 20 points. Thomas was the only player in the game with a hot shooting hand, connecting on eight of 13 shots.

NIU displays its defensive stature Friday night in “Snow Bowl II” against Illinois-Chicago. The game was previously scheduled for Jan. 25 but was cancelled because of a major snowstorm.

The Flames carry a 13-8 overall, 3-5 AMCU record into the game. Top teams like Michigan State (65-57) and Iowa State (76-75) have fallen to UIC this season.