Coming off its sixth-consecutive loss, NIU men’s basketball is looking to get back on track tonight at home against MAC opponent Miami (Ohio).

In order for the Huskies (2-19, 1-7 MAC) to give themselves a chance they will need to come out strong.

“As a young team, you’re going to have some struggles,” said NIU guard Antone Christian. “So, it’s always important that we start off well to give us confidence and to get a rhythm going early.”

NIU will also have to be more efficient on the offensive end of the ball, after scoring 40 points while shooting 29 percent in its most recent loss to Bowling Green.

“We just have to knock down shots,” Christian said. “The last couple of games, we have been patient on the offensive end, moving the ball, and we’ve had good looks. Some of the turnovers were unforced, so we need to cut back on those as well.”

The Huskies will have to play strong defense against the RedHawks (7-14, 3-6 MAC) and also remain patient as they use up a lot of the shot clock on offense.

“They are a patient team,” said NIU coach Mark Montgomery. “Julian Mavunga is a versatility guy; he can play inside, he can play outside. They have an unbelievable shooter in Brian Sullivan. We’re going to have to make sure we find him in transition and chase him off the three-point line. But they will try to dribble-drive and set ball screens.”

NIU will have its hands full with Mavunga, a senior who leads the MAC in rebounding with 10.1 per game. Mavunga is also the second leading scorer in the MAC, averaging 17.3 points per game.

“As a hybrid, postman, he can step out to 17-18 feet,” Christian said. “Face-up game, he will drive on you, post you up, and he can also shoot the three.”

Stopping Mavunga will be a key for NIU and it will have to do it together as a team.

“We’re going to have to have great help defense for him,” Montgomery said. “We might double down low some in the post. When he has the ball, we have to make sure we have early help, and just make sure that we have good awareness and keep him off the glass.”