Conference road trips haven’t been pleasant for the NIU men’s basketball team this season.

With an 0-4 MAC road record, coach Rob Judson hopes his team will turn things around for a road swing that will have the Huskies playing six of their next eight games away from DeKalb.

The Huskies begin their road trip at 6 p.m. today against Buffalo (WLBK 1360 AM), the preseason coaches’ pick for the MAC East champion.

“Buffalo is a hard trip,” Judson said. “The travel increases the difficulty and then they have a good team.”

The Bulls are 10-5 overall and 3-4 in the MAC.

Judson knows what his team needs to work to get their first elusive road conference win.

“What you have to do is get to the free-throw line,” Judson said. “If you can do that, it really helps your chances.”

The Huskies (7-9, 3-5) are coming off their largest MAC win this season, an 87-74 victory over Eastern Michigan on Saturday. NIU held EMU to 20-percent shooting from behind the three-point arc.

Keeping Buffalo’s shooting at bay will be key, Judson said.

“You have to stop the home team’s three-point shooting,” Judson said. “In all those losses it was the three-point shot that sealed the game for the home team.”

But stopping shooting is more difficult away from home, he said.

“Teams are more comfortable shooting at their home hoop and with their home basketball,” Judson said. “That might sound funny, but those things make a difference.”

NIU will also have to tackle three Bulls averaging double-digit scoring in Turner Battle (14.9), Mark Bortz (11.7) and Calvin Cage (11.3).