Darion “Jake” Anderson and Jeremy Landers weren’t dressed in their usual jerseys and shorts for the NIU men’s basketball game against Bowling Green Saturday at the Convocation Center.

Instead, the pair donned casual apparel, sat among the crowd and watched their team drop a 69-61 decision to BGSU.

Both Anderson and Landers sat directly behind the bench, cheering occasionally, but neither was able to give the Huskies the vital spark to overcome BGSU. The two guards had been suspended and were unable to compete against the Falcons.

“We have decided at this time to suspend both Jake Anderson and Jeremy Landers,” NIU head coach Ricardo Patton said in a press release. “We are certainly disappointed to have to make this decision, but the players in this program are expected to adhere to a standard that we have set.”

Patton made the choice to suspend the pair Friday night, after both participated in the team’s practice. After making the call, Patton has yet to confirm the length of the suspension. However, it is possible that Anderson and Landers may be permanently taken off the roster.

“It’s day-to-day,” Patton said.

Though the reasons behind the suspension have not been disclosed, Anderson and Landers are not in any legal or academic trouble, said Patton and Brett McWethy, assistant director of media relations for NIU athletics.

Anderson holds the 2008 MAC Freshman of the Year title, and is the leading scorer for the Huskies. The sophomore has 15 double-digit scoring outputs on the season and averages 16.3 points a game. The guard also leads the team in rebounding with an average of 5.5 per contest and is only one board away from 100 on the year.

Landers enters his suspension averaging 2.5 points a game, along with 1.2 rebounds. Landers checks in for just over 13 minutes per game and has landed one start on the season.

In Saturday’s match-up, freshman Tyler Storm replaced Anderson in the starting line-up.

Unfortunately, Storm couldn’t fill the shoes of the team’s leading scorer, ending the contest with only three points. Storm went 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from the charity stripe.

Freshman guard Mike DiNunno stepped up for the team, leading the Huskies with 15 points. DiNunno said the biggest concern surrounding the suspension is the availability of players to come off the bench.

“It’s always harder when you have a shorter bench,” DiNunno said. “You have to be out on the court a little longer and push through it a little more.”