THE NEED TO KNOWS
NIU (14-5, 7-1 MAC) at Ball State (14-6, 7-1 MAC)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Tipoff: Saturday January 28, 3:30 p.m. CT
Video: ESPN3
Radio: WSQR 92.9 FM/1180 AM 

MATCHUP DETAILS
NIU trails Ball State in the all-time series, 33-18; trails in Muncie, 16-7

FREE THROWS
• NIU women's basketball is No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 88.5 points per game, 2.2 points shy of national leader Baylor, and have scored at least 90 points eight times.
• The Huskies have gone to the free throw line 193 times in Mid-American Conference play, averaging 24 attempts at the line in their eight games. They shot 27-for-37 versus Kent State last time out.
• Northern Illinois University is 6-3 on the road this season and has won its last four games away from the Convocation Center. The program has not won at least seven road games since 2006-07.
• For the second time this season, six different players registered double figures on the scoreboard and four different players dished three-or-more assists.
• During the third quarter against the Golden Flashes, Northern Illinois University scored 37 points to tie its school record mark and hit 10-consecutive field goals during the scoring stretch.
• NIU has never started the Mid-American Conference season with a 7-1 record and last opened conference play with such a mark in 1993-94 with a flawless 8-0 record.
• Ten times this season, including five of its last seven games, NIU has had five players score in double figures. Six different Huskies are averaging 10-or-more points.
• Senior Ally Lehman enters Saturday's game five points shy of moving into the top-20 of the all-time scoring annals at NIU.

CRAM THE CONVO NEXT SATURDAY
• As part of an alumni day doubleheader with the Huskie men's basketball team, the NIU women's basketball team will host Western Michigan on Feb. 4 for Cram The Convo.
• NIU Athletics will host a pregame and postgame social for alumna and fans in attendance in The Sixth Man Grille on the South concourse of the Convocation Center. 
• The pregame gathering will begin at noon while the postgame reception will take place afthe Huskie-Bronco showdown.
• Alumna planning to attend should RSVP to Director of Basketball Operations Jazz Weaver (jweaver@niu.edu, 815-753-1492) by Thursday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. for complimentary tickets for themselves and guests planning to attend.
• The Huskies will dawn throwback uniforms during the game, reminiscent of NIU's NCAA Tournament teams, which will be available to purchase via auction on NIUHuskies.com
• Cram The Convo tickets are available for $5 each and are good for both games.
• The NIU men's basketball team will tipoff at 3:30 p.m. against Eastern Michigan following the women's game.

WHEN THE SHARK ATTACK...
• In 12 of the team's 19 games this season, senior Ally Lehman has gone to the free throw line at least three times in a game.
• What's the significance of that? When Lehman attacks, the Huskies have found success in a lot of areas, including the scoreboard where they are 9-3 on such occasions.
• From the field, the team has only shot under 40 percent once and has shot over 44 percent seven times.
• Seven times as well, NIU has equaled or surpassed its season assist average of 15 in a game.
• Like the alpha wolf when it leads the pack on the hunt, the Huskies have followed Lehman's lead of attacking he basket as they've notched 20 or more free throw attempts eight times when Lehman goes to the line three-or-more times.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY OFFENSE
• Everyone got their shot - literally - during the Huskies 93-72 victory over Kent State on Wednesday night as all 11 players suited for the contest and took at least one field goal attempt.
• It was the fifth game this season that 10-or-more players attempted at least one shot in the game. Eight Huskies scored in the game.
• While the team's 93 point effort was the program's seventh game with at least 90 points, it was only the second time this season six scorers contributed 10-or-more points in the game. Impressively, four of those involved scored between 15 and 18 points.
• The hands that fed the Huskies were also a wide array as four different players recorded three-or-more assists in the game for the just the second time this season. NIU is averaging 15.8 assists per game in 2016-17.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES
• With 57 points in the second half versus Kent State on Wednesday night, the Huskies set a season-high for points in the final 20 minutes of play, besting its 50 point output versus Milwaukee on Nov. 16.
• Shooting 18-for-38 in the half for a for a 47 percent field goal percentage and 18 points in 24 trips to the free throw line, NIU built a 29-point lead in the final period and defeated the Golden Flashes, 93-72.
• The 21-point victory for the Huskies was their first triumph by 20-or-more points in conference play since Jan. 29, 2014 over Kent State at the Convocation Center, 65-43.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• Ball State, the Mid-American Conference's co-leader alongside Northern Illinois University, are 14-6 this season with a 7-1 record in conference play, winning four-straight games and eight of its last nine.
• Defensively the Cardinals have held their MAC foes to 62 points per game while averaging 75 on the offensive end of the floor.
• The team's only blemish occurred on the road at Central Michigan on Jan. 11 and scored 92 points and shot 53 percent in the effort. 
• However, the Chippewas 58 percent field goal percentage and 101 points sunk BSU in the game.
• Forward Renee Bennett leads the team with 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, shooting .547 from the field and .730 from the free throw line  in 111 attempts.
• Moriah Monaco has been her support in the post with 16.0 points per game while Jill Morrison has tallied 10.4 points per game from the outside.
• Ball State's one guard Carmen Grande is fourth in the nation in assists per game at 7.7.

GET TO THE LINE
• With 193 trips to the free throw line in the last eight games, NIU has stuck to its game plan of attacking the rim and drawing fouls to average 84.2 points per outing
• The Huskies are 151-for-193 (.782) in MAC play.
• Versus the Golden Flashes, they attempted a season-best 37 free throws, the most by NIU since shooting 44 versus Southern Illinois in 2009.
• During the team's win over Ohio, Northern Illinois University went to the line a 35 times, converting a season-high 31 attempts.
• Averaging just over 24 attempts per game, the Huskies lowest free throw total in the last eight games occurred versus Akron last Wednesday, going 1-for-5. However, the team rebounded with a 22-for-26 performance against Miami.
• NIU's recent successes at the line has pushed the program to No. 4 nationally in team free throw percentage with an 79.6 percent clip.
• The Huskies are also seventh in free throws made with 327 this season (17.2/G).

DIVERSITY IN ITS SCORING
• In the last five wins, the Huskies have relied on different scorers in each game to carry them to victory with duos teaming together versus Toledo and Miami, and a conglomerate against Kent State.
• Most recently, Mikayla Voigt versus the Golden Flashes with 18 points, however, five other Huskies scored in double figures alongside Voigt with four scorers between 15 and 18 points. 
• Cassidy Glenn registered 24 points versus Ohio, taking 22 of the team's 59 shots and closing the afternoon with a .409 field goal percentage.
• At the start of NIU's road trip two weeks ago at Kent State, Janae Poisson scored the first 20-point off the bench for NIU since 2014 with career-high 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting.
• Ally Lehman and Courtney Woods combined at Savage Arena versus the Rockets, scoring 20 and 21, respectively.
• Versus the RedHawks finally, Glenn and Woods combined 53 of NIU's 89 points paced by Glenn's career-high 32 points. 
• In four of the five outings, NIU had at least five scorers reach double figures.

POISSON'S AFFINITY FOR THE FLASH
• In her two performances versus Kent State this season, freshman Janae Poisson averaged 21.5 points and went 15-of-28 from the field and a 9-for-11 clip at the charity stripe.
• In the first meeting in Kent on Jan. 11, the Matteson, Ill., native scored 27 points, the highest total off the bench since Amanda Corral scored 24 at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 26, 2014, and the most points by a freshman since at least 2001.
• Including her effort, the 20-point plateau has only been reached six times since 2011-12 by NIU freshmen.
• On Wednesday, Poisson scored 16 off the bench with six field goals and four makes at the free throw line in 27 minutes of action.

NEXT UP
• The Huskies will take their conference designated bye week on Wednesday and return to action on Saturday Feb. 4, hosting Western Michigan on Alumna Day.
• Tipoff for Cram The Convo is set for 1 p.m. Central. The game will air live on ESPN3.