GAME NOTES: Attempting to stay unbeaten through their first three games, the Northern Illinois Huskies will hit the road for the first time this season to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in a non-conference clash at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Northern Illinois enters this first road test with a 2-0 mark on the early season, having defeated Aurora (86-56) and Idaho (78-67) already. But NIU has a current 7-45 all-time record against teams from the Big Ten, so the Huskies will have work to do.

Iowa began the season the same way as Northern Illinois, with two straight wins. But the Hawkeyes dropped back-to-back contests against Texas and Syracuse to even their record at 2-2 before a 72-61 win against Pepperdine ended the skid.

These two teams have met six times on the hardwood before, and Iowa has won all six of those prior meetings. Five of the six meetings have taken place in Iowa City, and the latest tilt in 2011 went to the Hawkeyes by an 88-55 margin.

Northern Illinois played well offensively in the team's last time out against Idaho (which was six days ago), as the Huskies took a 39-27 advantage into the locker room at the end of the first half. The team shot 51 percent from the floor in the game, and made 18-of-26 free-throw tries. Darrell Bowie and Aaric Armstead each netted 16 points to pace the Huskies, while Bowie added eight rebounds and Armstead grabbed seven. Travon Baker chipped in with 14 points, and center Jordan Threloff contributed 11 points and nine rebounds, just coming up short of the double-double.

Last season the Huskies didn't have one active player that averaged a scoring total in the double figures, but through two games this season the team already has four players that fit the bill. Armstead leads the charge at 16.5 ppg, also bringing down 7.5 rpg. Threloff isn't too far behind in scoring (14.0 ppg), but the big man averages a double-double through two games with 12.5 rpg. Bowie (11.5 ppg) and Baker (10.5 ppg) round out those four double- digit scorers for the Huskies, who are netting 82.0 ppg as a team. Defensively, NIU is allowing just 61.5 ppg to opponents, though going against the Big Ten's Hawkeyes will likely change that.

Iowa rebounded from back-to-back losses with a convincing win over Pepperdine at home. The Hawkeyes shot 41 percent from the floor, and hit 17-of-26 from the charity stripe to coast to victory. Aaron White netted a team-high 17 points with nine rebounds, while both Jarrod Uthoff and Mike Gesell contributed 15 points. Uthoff grabbed eight boards for the Hawkeyes, and White added four steals in the win. The team also held Pepperdine to just 37.3 percent shooting from the floor.

White and Uthoff are at the top of Iowa's scoring list, with White chipping in a team-best 16.8 ppg in five games played and started. White also adds a team- best 8.8 rpg, and rounds out his stat line averaging 3.0 apg. Uthoff nets 13.6 ppg for the Hawkeyes, adding in 5.4 rpg and nine steals. As a unit, Iowa is scoring 73.8 ppg through five contests, and is allowing just 62.0 ppg to opponents.

Northern Illinois may have the more boastful stat lines through two games played, but the Hawkeyes certainly have the Huskies' number. This should be the one to halt the NIU wins at two straight.