Men’s basketball (16-6, 5-4 MAC) opened MAC-play this season with a victory over Ohio University Bobcats (13-7, 4-4 MAC) on Jan. 6 and will look to sweep the season series with a win over the Bobcats on Saturday.

Senior guard Travon Baker scored a career-high 25 points, including 13 in the final minutes, in the last meeting between the two teams. Sophomore center Marin Maric posted a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. The game had 10 ties and 18 lead changes.

NIU shot 50 percent (22-44) from the field in the contest, including 47.6 percent (10-21) from three. Redshirt sophomore guard Jaaron Simmons led the Bobcats with 19 points on 7-14 shooting, while forwards Kenny Kaminski and Treg Setty contributed 15 points each.

Simmons was named MAC East Player of the Week after averaging 12.5 assists, 10.5 points, 5 rebounds and 0.5 steals per game in a week that saw the Bobcats go 2-0. Simmons tied the school and conference record with 17 assists and notched his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points as Ohio held on for an 81-79 win over MAC-rival University of Toledo last Tuesday. Simmons leads the Bobcats and the MAC with 7.8 assists per game, third in the NCAA.

NIU is coming off of a three-game losing streak with losses to Akron University, Miami University and Buffalo University. Ohio is on a two-game winning streak with victories at Toledo and against Kent State.

Ohio

• Third in scoring offense in the MAC, averaging 77.7 points per game.

• First in the MAC in field goal percentage (46 percent) and fourth in three-point percentage (37 percent).

• First in blocked shots in the MAC, averaging 4.2 per game.

• Twelfth in offensive rebounds, averaging 9.2 per game.

• Fifth in three-point field goals made (7.6), one ahead of NIU.

• Simmons (14.7 points per game) and junior Antonio Campbell (15.6 points per game) are top ten in the MAC in scoring.

• Campbell is second in the MAC in rebounding (9.2 rebounds per game), third in field goal percentage (58 percent) and first in blocked shots (1.8 blocks per game).

• Freshman Jordan Dartis (90 percent) and Kaminski (87 percent) are 1-2 in the MAC in free throw percentage.

• Simmons leads the MAC in minutes played (35.2 minutes per game) and Kaminski is eighth in minutes (31.1 minutes per game).

NIU

• First in the MAC in scoring defense (63.4 points per game) and scoring margin (+12.2).

• Tied with Ball State University for third in blocked shots (3.8 blocks per game).

• Second in assists in the MAC (15.5 assists) and second in steals (7.6 steals per game).

• Baker is tied for third in the MAC in steals (1.5 per game), sixth in assists (3.9 per game) and fourth in field goals (2.4 per game).