It all boils down to one game for the NIU men’s basketball team.

The Huskies are the co-champions of the MAC West no matter what happens in the last game of the season.

If the Huskies win Saturday they’ll be the out-right MAC West champions and earn a No. 2 seed in the MAC tournament with a bye.

But, if NIU (16-10 Overall, 11-6 MAC) loses, the team will drop to the fifth seed in the tournament and lose the bye.

“The outcome of the game is important for us to continue to play well,” NIU coach Rob Judson said. “Sometimes seeding for a tournament can be deceptive.”

NIU travels to Kalamazoo to end its regular season against Western Michigan (13-15 overall, 10-7 MAC) at 1:05 p.m.

The Huskies faced the Broncos earlier this season Feb. 4, 2006 at the Convocation Center, a game which NIU won 86-60.

NIU had four players who scored double digits in that contest, as Ryan Paradise, Todd Peterson, Mike McKinney and Ben Rand all found their mark. Three other Huskies posted eight points in the victory.

“We shot the ball well in that game,” Judson said. “That game will have no relevance on this one, as [WMU] is 7-1 at home in MAC conference games.”

While NIU has focused on using a well-rounded attack, WMU has concentrated its offense around the fifth best scorer in the MAC, Joe Reitz.

The center is averaging 15.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. In the match against NIU, Reitz scored a team-high 23 points.

Stopping a dominating force in the paint is nothing new to NIU, as they faced the top scorer in the MAC, forward John Bowler last weekend.

“[Reitz] is very similar to Bowler from Eastern Michigan,” the fifth-year coach said. “We just have to try and limit his touches with the best post defense we can.”

NIU may have to limit Reitz without the help of center James Hughes, as his status is still undetermined.

Although the team will be without Rand and possibly Hughes, it will still have multiple weapons to use on its nine-man roster.

Zach Pancratz found his mark as he scored 18 points against Ball State on Wednesday night. Peterson has scored 20 or more points in the last 3-of-4 games.

“The seniors have been real solid as we have been finishing up the year,” Judson said. “Our whole team has been focused.”