NEW ORLEANS – The February games of the MAC-SBC Challenge were announced by the Sun Belt Conference office on Tuesday. On Feb. 7, the Texas State men's basketball team will host Western Michigan and the women's team will travel to face Northern Illinois.
 
The men's contest against the Broncos will tipoff at 4 p.m. from inside Strahan Arena. It will be the first ever meeting between the teams.
 
So far this season, WMU is 6-8 overall, 0-2 in the Mid-American Conference and are just 1-6 on the road. The Broncos opened the season with a 76-71 win in the MAC-SBC Challenge over Coastal Carolina.
 
The Texas State women will have a 1 p.m. tip in DeKalb, Illinois. The Bobcats and Huskies will be for the second time on the hardwood with the first meeting between a 79-55 victory for TXST at home on Dec. 16, 1996.
 
NIU is just 2-11 on the season and 0-2 in conference play. Currently, the Huskies have lost seven straight after winning back-to-back games against Chicago State and SIUE. The season opener saw them fall 77-56 at Southern Miss in the November challenge game.