Two teams trending in opposite directions will meet up Saturday as NIU men’s basketball heads to Dayton, Ohio.

The Huskies (1-4) will square off against a Dayton (4-2) squad that is coming off a 62-61 loss to Weber State from Wednesday.

NIU will come into the game well-rested physically, but with a lot of mental notes on finding success as coach Mark Montgomery knows what his team needs to do.

“We have to try and keep them off the glass,” Montgomery said. “Our transition defense will be very important because they want to fastbreak.”

Dayton features five players averaging more than nine points, while NIU only has one player averaging more than nine in freshman Akeem Springs. Springs is averaging just more than 10 points a game, but has attempted nearly two times more shots than the next highest shot-taker for the Huskies.

Montgomery believes this is not a function of sharing the ball, but more of situational shooting and that the end result is a missing component for both results and confidence.

“Sometimes the ball is in his hands in shot clock situations,” Montgomery said. “We just need to see the ball go in the basket.”

Dayton has out-rebounded its opponents on the season on both the defensive end and the offensive end. It is led in both categories by 6’7” junior forward Devin Oliver.

Montgomery knows that fast-break possibilities and rebounds will be key areas for NIU to address, but doesn’t believe that playing time will be allocated differently.

“I’m a firm believer if you practice hard, you should get minutes in the game,” Montgomery said. “They have good size, we could play a smaller line-up but you have to rebound with them.”

Montgomery also believes that the final challenge ahead of his team will be simply playing away from home against a tough, well-balanced team in a different atmosphere.

“Particularly going on the road, you have to be sound defensively,” Montgomery said. “Our back-court will have to step up and match their intensity.”