THE NEED TO KNOWS
NIU (6-3) vs South Dakota (9-2)
Kansas City, Mo. (Swinney Recreation Center)
Tipoff: Monday, Dec. 19, 5:30 p.m.
Radio: WLBK 98.9 FM/1360 AM
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com

NIU (6-3) vs UMKC (5-4)
Kansas City, Mo. (Swinney Recreation Center)
Tipoff: Tuesday, Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m.
Video: UMKCKangaroos.com
Radio: WSQR 92.9 FM/1190 AM
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com

FREE THROWS
• NIU women's basketball is No. 2 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 93.1 points per game. The Huskies have scored 90-or-more points five times, a feat last accomplished in 1994-95
• The NIU offense is averaging 81.6 possessions per game and 1.14 points per possession.
• The Huskies have outscored their foes 216-151 in the third quarter and have only been outscored in the period twice this season. NIU is 6-1 when it outscores its foes in the third quarter.
• With an edge for finishing strong win or lose, Northern Illinois University is 21-for-21 in the fourth quarter at the free-throw line in the last two games.
• The Huskies are third in the country in free throw percentage with a clip of 81 percent.
• Six times this season, the Huskies have had five scorers register 10 points in a game, however, NIU achieved the feat with two 20-point scorers for the first time this season, led by Cassidy Glenn's career-high 24 points and Courtney Woods 21 points.
• Ally Lehman finished three boards short of her third triple-double of the season against SIUE as she scored 19 points, dished 10 assists and pulled down seven rebounds.
• It was the third time this season that Lehman dished at least 10 assists in a game and the fourth time in her career, making her one of just four players to have accomplished the feat in a career.
• This weekend's trip to Kansas City will be the Huskies first Holiday Tournament since going to Dallas for the SMU Thanksgiving Classic.
• Northern Illinois University has never played South Dakota and UMKC.

SHARING IS CARING... AND NIU'S GOLDEN RULE
• Ball movement and sharing the basketball has been a large part of NIU's success this season as the team has already dished 148 assists, averaging 16.4 helpers per outing.
• The Huskies have recorded 10-or-more assists in all nine games this season and have punched above their current season average five times.
• When sharing the basketball has been at a premium, to no surprise, scoring success has followed NIU.
• Five times this season, Northern Illinois University has scored 90-or-more points, including two 100-point performances.
• Only once in those five games, did the Huskies not register at least 18 assists as a team.
• NIU registered 11 helpers in a 114-104 double overtime victory over Milwaukee, in which, the Huskies focused primarily on a dribble drive attack, finishing the game with 60 points in the paint.
• In the Huskies 108-66 victory over Illinois State, the squad registered a season-best 23 helpers.

AND THAT'S A MAGIC NUMBER
• One of the premiere three-point shooting teams in the country, the Huskies registered its fourth game with 10-or-more treys in a game versus SIUE.
• Most impressively, Northern Illinois University has done it in the last six games.
• NIU shot 12-of-28 from behind the arc versus the Cougars, led by Cassidy Glenn and Courtney Woods.
• Woods led the Huskies with five makes while Glenn totaled three as both players combined for 45 points. Glenn led with a career-high 24 points.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• South Dakota enters the weekend with a 9-2 record with its only losses coming at Arkansas Nov. 17 (70-67) and in overtime at Wyoming on Dec. 4 (69-62).
• The Coyotes, ranked No. 10 in the Mid-Major poll, are the reigning WNIT Champions.
• USD is averaging 75.9 points per game while only allowing its foes to 65.1 points. The Coyotes also own a rebounding margin of +7.8 over its opponents this season.
• Missouri-Kansas City enters the weekend 5-4 and is just coming off a four-game unbeaten streak, snapping its run on Dec. 10 versus Omaha, 80-57. UMKC took finals this past week.
• Kiana Law leads the Kangaroos offense with 11.7 points per game, shooting .402 from the field including a .417 clip behind the three-point line.
• The Roos are shooting .430 as a team this season and forcing its foes to commit 18.2 turnovers per game.

NEXT UP
• Northern Illinois University will begin its 18-game MAC season on Saturday, December 31 when it hosts Eastern Michigan at the NIU Convocation Center.
• Tipoff for the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. The men's basketball game will follow after the game.