Former NIU basketball players will be in attendance for the men’s contest against Central Michigan Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

After the annual alumni Red/Black game, the NIU men’s basketball team will take the court to match-up with the Chippewas in its third consecutive showdown against a Michigan team.

The Huskies are coming off a dominating 72-52 home victory against Eastern Michigan, where post play was the key to the win. The team scored 42 points in the paint, and NIU (6-10 overall, 2-2 MAC) equaled their total win count from the 2007-2008 season.

On the other side of the court, CMU looks to bounce back after a 61-75 loss to Toledo. After the loss to the Rockets, the Chippewas fell to 1-3 in conference play, and rank among the bottom of the MAC.

CMU sits in the 12th position in scoring defense (72.5 points per game), defensive field goal percentage (.451), rebounding margin (-3.1), and assists per game (10.38).

Defensively, the Chippewas have been the weakest in the MAC, and must match-up with the Huskies’ 2nd ranked scoring offense. NIU averages 68.1 points per game, with lead scorer Jake Anderson putting up 17.1 points per game.