DeKALB | NIU men’s basketball coach Rob Judson knows exactly where his team is at this point of the season.

“This is a tough stretch,” Judson said of his team’s five straight losses, in the midst of a one-of-15 stretch for the Huskies. “It’s very easy to become frustrated. We have to do everything to keep pushing forward.”

In its current losing streak, Akron has been NIU’s only opponent with a winning overall and conference record.

The tough stretch won’t take a break for the Huskies as NIU (4-14, 1-5) hosts Kent State (11-8, 4-2) Saturday at 2 p.m.

Kent State is tied for second place in the MAC East with Ohio. The Golden Flashes come off a 60-54 win over Ball State, their second win in a row.

The Golden Flashes are led by senior guards Omni Smith and Armon Gates. Both average double-digit scoring, with Smith ranking ninth in the MAC at 14.2 points per game, and Gates chipping in 11 points a contest. Smith also ranks seventh in the MAC in assists per game with just under four.

The pair have helped Kent State to be ranked fourth in the MAC in scoring offense, averaging 69.6 points per game. The team is just as good on the other end of the courst as it’s also fourth in scoring defense, holding teams to 64.2 points per game.

Furthermore, the Golden Flashes rank in the top five in the MAC in scoring margin, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, blocked shots, assists, steals, turnover margins and assist-to-turnover ratio.

Despite the team’s recent struggles, Judson said NIU’s practices haven’t lost any intensity or energy.

“There’s a lot of season left,” Judson said. “There’s lots of opportunity and we look forward to each opportunity.”

NIU will look for its two seniors James Hughes and Mike McKinney to try and make good on this opportunity. Both lead the team in scoring but it’s only at 12.3 and 12.9 points per game respectively. The duo is also among the team leaders in rebounds.