The Ohio Northern men's basketball team will tip off its 2018-19 campaign as it hosts area- rival Defiance at the ONU Sports Center on Nov. 13 under third-year head coach Rich Bensman.

The Polar Bears begin the season with back-to-back home contests for the first time since the 1994-95 season as it hosts Denison at the ONU Sports Center on Nov. 17 following Northern's contest with Defiance.

Northern's first road contest will be at Hope (Mich.) on Nov. 20 at a time yet to be announced.

After hosting Wooster on Nov. 25, ONU will travel to Thomas More (Ky.) on Nov. 28 before opening Ohio Athletic Conference play at home with Mount Union on Dec. 1.

Northern will also host John Carroll on Dec. 15 and Heidelberg on Dec. 19 and will travel to Wilmington on Dec. 5 and Capital on Dec. 8 to cap of the 2018 portion of the OAC schedule.

Ohio Northern will also take part in the D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 28-29.

The new year will begin with back-to-back OAC road contests as ONU travels to Muskingum on Jan. 1 and Baldwin Wallace on Jan. 9.

Other road OAC contests feature bouts at Otterbein on Jan. 16, at Mount Union on Jan. 26, at Marietta on Feb. 2, at John Carroll on Feb. 9 and at Heidelberg on Feb. 13.

Northern will also host Marietta on Jan. 12, Capital on Jan. 19, Wilmington on Jan. 23, Baldwin Wallace on Jan. 30, Otterbein on Feb. 6 and Muskingum on Feb. 16.

The OAC Tournament is slated for Feb. 19-23.