Stage 1 of Northern Illinois` toughest road trip of the season ended in an 18-point loss Saturday at Southern Illinois.
Stage 2 Monday doesn`t figure to get any better.
After busing to the O`Hare Marriott from Carbondale after Saturday`s game, the Huskies departed at noon Sunday for Green Bay, where they`ll take on Mid-Continent Conference favorite Wisconsin-Green Bay on Monday night-minus three more players.
Starting point guard Mark Layton, reserve guard Brad Lindsay and freshman reserve forward Hubert Register are academically ineligible beginning Monday, when Northern`s second semester begins. That leaves coach Brian Hammel with nine players, three of them walk-ons.
”This is the toughest road trip I`ve been involved with since playing Michigan (with Roy Tarpley) and Michigan State (with Scott Skiles),” said Hammel, recalling his days as an assistant coach at Iowa. ”It`s a monster, not only because of the competition, but the outside elements-long bus rides, three hotels in four days. It`s a tremendous challenge for us.”
Northern (4-8, 2-1) wasn`t equal to the challenge at Southern Illinois, falling 83-65. The Huskies were outrebounded 54-22 and Brian Molis (17 points a game) was held to four points.
In Green Bay (11-1, 3-0), Northern will have to find a way to combat All- America candidate Tony Bennett and a team it hasn`t beaten since the 1986-87 season.
”We have to keep playing hard and suck it up,” said Molis.
The loss of three more players, bringing the total to nine this season because of academics, transfers, injury or suspension, is frustrating to Molis & Co.
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”It`s a hard thing for the coaching staff and us,” said the senior co-captain. ”Things have been constantly changing.
”Other people will just have to step forward.”