KENT, Ohio (Interstat) — A surging Kent State looks to continue its strong start and protect its home court when it hosts a struggling Northern Illinois team in a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at Memorial Athletics Center.

The Golden Flashes (10-3) enter conference play as one of the league’s hottest teams, despite a 101-60 road loss to then-Purdue on Dec. 29. Prior to that, they had won eight of nine, including a notable 69-59 victory at Massachusetts. They are 6-0 at home this season, winning those games by an average of 33.2 points.

Northern Illinois (5-8) seeks to reverse its momentum after losing four of its last five games. The Huskies are coming off an 81-67 home loss to Buffalo on Wednesday. Their season has been marked by inconsistency, with blowout losses to Bradley, Lindenwood and Grand Canyon offsetting high-scoring wins over non-Division I opponents Benedictine and East-West University.

A key matchup will feature the teams’ top offensive threats. Kent State guard Delrecco Gillespie averages 15.4 points per game and is coming off an 18-point performance in the win at UMass. He provides a dynamic scoring punch for a balanced Flashes attack.

For the Huskies, guard Dylan Ducommun has been a bright spot, averaging 15.4 points and 4.2 assists. He scored 19 points with four assists in the loss to Buffalo and has been in double figures in nine straight games. His backcourt battle with Gillespie will be critical to NIU’s chances.

Kent State’s defense, which allows just 72.2 points per game, will test a Northern Illinois offense averaging 74.2. The Huskies have struggled on the road, going 1-5, and will need to value possessions against a Flashes team that forces 14 turnovers per game.

The Golden Flashes have won the last four meetings in the series. Saturday’s contest opens the MAC schedule for both teams before they dive into full conference play next week.