Preview: Northern Illinois Huskies at Georgia State Panthers

ATLANTA (Interstat) — Two men’s NCAA Division I teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when the Northern Illinois Huskies visit the Georgia State Panthers at GSU Sports Arena.

Both programs enter the non-conference matchup with sub-.500 records. Northern Illinois (7-14) arrives after an 85-61 road loss at Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 31. Georgia State (9-15) looks to rebound from a 74-63 home defeat to Troy on Feb. 4.

The game will feature a key backcourt matchup between two productive guards. Northern Illinois will rely on Gianni Cobb, who is averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 assists over his last seven games. Cobb scored a team-high 17 points in the loss to Miami (Ohio).

Georgia State’s offense is paced by Micah Tucker, who has reached double-figure scoring in five of his last seven contests. Tucker led the Panthers with 18 points in their most recent outing against Troy.

The Huskies have struggled for consistency, alternating wins and losses over their past six games. Their most recent victory was an 85-65 home win over Western Michigan on Jan. 27, where Cobb dished out eight assists.

The Panthers have found wins harder to come by in Sun Belt play, but they have shown flashes at home, including narrow wins over Arkansas State (82-81) and Southern Mississippi (69-62) in late January.

Northern Illinois’s next game is at home against Bowling Green on Feb. 11. Georgia State continues its schedule with a road game at James Madison on Feb. 12.

Tip-off is set for Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Atlanta.