"I know having a social life is pretty much out the window." DeKalb baseball and football standout Cole Latimer committed to play both sports at NIU on Monday and said he is ready for the challenge of playing both at the NCAA Division I level.

The NIU football team heads to Toledo on Wednesday to take on the Rockets, the last scheduled meeting between the two teams ahead of the Huskies leaving the Mid-American Conference at the end of the school year.

NIU got a double-double from 6-11 true freshman post Gustav Winther, a 10-assist, zero-turnover game from Gianni Cobb and an efficiency clinic from Jao Ituka off the bench in a 102-82 win over Louisiana-Monroe in the season opener on Monday.

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The Northern Illinois Huskie men's basketball team opened their regular season schedule with a home matchup Monday with the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

"We came in and chose violence." NIU ran 57 times for 305 yards, including 37 carries and 166 yards for Chavon Wright, in a 21-7 win against Ball State on Saturday.

NIU snapped a six-game losing streak and knocked off Ball State 21-7 on Saturday, claiming the Bronze Stalk in the last currently scheduled meeting between the schools.

The NIU football team is 1-9 in rivalry trophy games under coach Thomas Hammock, but can pick up the Bronze Stalk on Saturday when the Huskies host Ball State.

Marengo grad Josh Holst returned to the starting quarterback role for NIU at Ohio on Saturday, but the Huskies lost for the sixth straight time despite season highs in total yards and points.

The NIU football team will try to snap its five-game losing streak on Saturday when it faces defending MAC Champion Ohio at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.