THE NEED TO KNOWS
NIU (17-6, 10-2 MAC) at Miami (Ohio) (9-16, 2-10 MAC)
Oxford, Ohio (Millett Hall)
Tipoff: Feb. 15, 6 p.m.
Video: ESPN3
Radio: WLBK 98.9 FM/1360 AM
Live Stats: MURedHawks.com

MATCHUP DETAILS
NIU leads Miami in the all-time series, 18-17; trails in Oxford, 10-6

FREE THROWS
• NIU women's basketball is No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 88.3 points per game, 1.7 points shy of national leader Maryland, and have scored at least 90 points 10 times.
• Northern Illinois University extended its road winning streak to six games on Saturday at Buffalo, 89-80, by opening the fourth quarter on a 16-0 run. The unbeaten run is the longest by the program since 1993-94.
• The Huskies are the only team in the country with three players averaging over 16 points per game - Courtney Woods (17.6), Ally Lehman (16.9) Cassidy Glenn (16.3) - and are the only team in the country with six players averaging 10-or-more points per game.
•  Shooting 58 percent from the field and 90 percent from the free throw line while averaging 30 points, 11.5 rebounds and eight assists per game, Ally Lehman was named the MAC West Division Player of the Week on Tuesday morning.
• Northern Illinois University has overcome deficits of 10-points or larger four times this season and nine times in the last four years, the highest total by a four-year class at NIU in the last 12 years.
• With six regular season games remaining, the Huskies scoring average is currently the second-best in Mid-American Conference history and highest clip since Toledo averaged 83.6 in 1996-97.
• The 2016-17 Huskies are only the seventh team in program history to record at least 15 wins in its first 21 games and are off to their best start in Mid-American Conference history at 10-2.

THE ROAD WARRIORS
• For the first time since 1993-94, NIU has won at least eight road games following its 89-80 triumph at Buffalo last Saturday.
• The victory extended the Huskies streak to six-straight wins away from the Convocation Center, starting on Dec. 20 at UMKC.
• Their four three road games have been single-digit victories, including a one-point triumph on Jan. 11 at Kent State, 98-97.
• As a team, NIU has averaged 90.0 points per game in its last six road affairs, dishing 17.3 assists per game and shooting 49.0 percent. • Though third on the team in scoring, Ally Lehman has scored 19.3 points per game during the team's road streak, three points more than the Huskies' leading scorer Courtney Woods.
• Lehman has also averaged 10.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game in Northern Illinois' last six road games, shooting a ridiculous .532 from the field and 89 percent at the free throw line.
• In fact, in MAC road games, the Nineveh, Ind., native is averaging 20.0 points, 10.8 rebound and 7.0 assists per game, leading the Huskies to a team field goal percentage of .495, including a .411 clip behind the arc and an 83 percent free throw percentage in 110 attempts.

TRADING PLACES
• For the second time this season, NIU exchanged at least 10 ties and 10 leads in a game as it split an even 11 leads and ties at Buffalo.
• The Huskies last accomplished the feat at Kent State on Jan. 11 at Kent State when NIU defeated the Golden Flashes in a 10-point, fourth quarter comeback, 98-97.
• Under Head Coach Lisa Carlsen, the Huskies have recorded the feat three times while the program has swapped at least 10 ties and 10 leads in a game four times since the 2005-06 season.

FOURTH QUARTER DEFENSE
• While Huskies 16-0 run took the headline at Buffalo last Saturday, the NIU defense on the other end of the floor was the key to the success as it recorded 10-consecutive stops to exchange the 11th and final lead of the game.
• NIU defense forced two turnovers and pulled down eight boards off the defensive glass with Cassidy Glenn, Ally Lehman, Kelly Smith and Courtney Woods each recording two.
• During the run, that lasted the first 4:45 in the period, Buffalo only registered two offensive rebounds despite their depth and height advantages.
• Glenn, Lehman and Woods all finished in double figures in rebounding while Smith was one board shy of the accomplishment. It was the first time this season three Huskies recorded 10-or-more rebounds in the same game.

SECOND HALF LOCKDOWN
• Reigning First Team All-MAC guard JoAnna Smith has been one of the Mid-American Conference's top scorers for Buffalo over the last four seasons.
• A week earlier, Smith tied her career scoring-high with a 31-point effort versus Kent State.
• In the first half against the Huskies on Saturday, Smith was over halfway to a new high as she was 7-of-10 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 behind the arc to lead all scorers with 18 points.
• However, sophomore Mikayla Voigt's defense on the star was nothing short of spectacular as Smith was held to four points on 2-of-10 shooting with five misses behind the arc and one from the free throw line.
• The Southaven, Miss., native has reached the 20-point threshold nine times and is averaging 16.8 points per game.

THE SEASONED VERSUS THE RESTED
• With three weeks in the MAC regular season, 10 of the conference's 12 teams have taken their bye weeks with Ball State and Kent State taking their byes on Wednesday.
• Following the break, teams have gone 5-5 with the Huskies amongst those victorious as they won at Ball State, 101-96, on Jan. 28.
• On the flip side, NIU has handed out two losses after the break as it defeated Western Michigan on Feb. 4 and most recently took down Buffalo.
• The Huskies will take their third and final crack at an opponent following their bye as the Cardinals head to DeKalb on Saturday.

THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
• The superlatives and anecdotes for senior Ally Lehman are a vast reservoir of greatness held by a dam of humility and devotion. The NIU record book is stamped with Lehman's signature.
• While she holds records for points in a game, single season rebounds, 10-rebound games in a season, 10-assist games in a season and a career, and triple-doubles in a season and career, Lehman has never scored at least 20 points in consecutive games.
• Lehman scored 31 points Wednesday versus Central Michigan and added 29 at Buffalo, nearly becoming the first Huskie to score 30-or-more in back-to-back efforts since Lisa Foss in 1990-91.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• Wednesday night's showdown with Miami University will be the Huskies second meeting against their MAC East foe, defeating the RedHawks, 89-76, on Jan. 21.
• Since falling to NIU, MU has gone 2-3, winning both of its games last week versus Akron (54-49) and at Eastern Michigan (79-63).
• The RedHawks 79 points versus the Eagles were a season-high as three players scored 10-or-more points, led by Kendall McCoy's 20 points. McCoy was named MAC East Player of the Week for the performance.
• Lauren Dickerson, who scored 26 points against Northern Illinois in the first meeting, accounted for 12 points at EMU on Saturday.
• Defensively, the RedHawks 49 points allowed to the Zips were a season-low as it held the Zips to a 28.6 field goal percentage in the game.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
• In the last 53 games, senior Ally Lehman has recorded 30 double-doubles including two triple-doubles. • Through the Huskies 23 outings this season, Lehman has recorded the feat 15 times, matching her mark of 15 during the 2015-16 campaign and one away from tying NIU's single season record. • The Nineveh, Ind., is  ranked eighth in the country in double-doubles and is the only guard ranked in the top-30 and has reached the mark in one to four games fewer than those above her on the list. • Ten times this season, Lehman registered a points-rebounds double-double while recording the accomplishment five times with points-assists, tying the program's record for 10-assist games in a season. • With her diversity in reaching the double-double mark, she is sixth at NIU in career rebounds with 911 and is third all-time in assists with 479. • Lehman is 21 helpers shy of becoming just the second player in history to reach 500 dimes in a career and 89 boards from becoming the sixth Huskie - the first guard - to crash 1,000 boards. • Lehman is 16th at NIU in scoring at 1,218 points.

ROLLIN' ON 20'S WITH COURTNEY WOODS
• Over the last calendar year, Courtney Woods has been one of the Mid-American Conference's most consistent scorers.
• Fourth in the MAC and 66th nationally in points per game with a rate of 17.6 points per game, Woods notched her 10th game with 20-or-more points versus Western Michigan last Saturday.
• It was the 13th time she's reached the plateau in her last 29 games, in which, she has also scored in double figures 26 times. • Woods' 10 performances are tied for the second-most in the MAC this season behind the conference's leading scorer Larissa Lurken (19) of Kent State and Ohio's Quiera Lampkins (10).
• Perhaps the most impressive part of her feat is that Woods has five other players around her averaging double-figures while Kent State and Ohio have a combined three players averaging 10-or-more points per game.
• She's the first Huskie since Stephanie Raymond in 2006-07 to record the feat at least 10 times in a season when the First Team All-MAC selection reached the mark 16 times.

GET TO THE LINE
• With 275 trips to the free throw line in the last 12 games, NIU has stuck to its game plan of attacking the rim and drawing fouls to average 85.4 points per outing • The Huskies are 216-for-275 (.785) in MAC play.
• Versus the Golden Flashes on Jan. 11, they attempted a season-best 37 free throws, the most by NIU since shooting 44 versus SIU in 2009. • During the team's win over Ohio, Northern Illinois University went to the line 35 times, converting a season-high 31 attempts.
• Averaging just under 23 attempts per game, the Huskies lowest free throw total was five in the team's loss to Akron, draining just one shot.However, the team rebounded with a 22-for-26 performance against Miami.
• NIU is No. 4 nationally in team free throw percentage with a 79.5 percent clip and sixth in free throws made with 392 this season (17.0/G).

WHEN SHARKS ATTACK...
• In 16 of the team's 23 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 12-4 on such occasions.
• From the field, the team has only shot under 40 percent twice and over 44 percent nine times. • Nine times as well, NIU has equaled or surpassed its season assist average of 16 in a game.
• Like the alpha wolf when it leads the pack on the hunt, the Huskies have followed Lehman's lead of attacking the basket as they've notched 20 or more free throw attempts 10 times when Lehman goes to the line three-or-more times.

THE VERY DEFINITION OF #MACTION
• With a 17-6 record, the MAC has taken notice of what NIU women's basketball is all about. The Huskies lead the MAC in points per game and are No. 3 in the country at 88.3.
• On the season, NIU has averaged 16.0 assists per outing, the third-best distribution clip in the conference. • Behind the arc, Northern Illinois is first in the MAC in three-point field goal percentage (37.5) while also ranking in the top-25 nationally.
• In 17 of the team's 23 games, four-or-more players have reached double figures, including five-or-more 10 times. Six different players are registering 10-or-more points per game, making the Huskies the only team in the country with such a versatile scoring offense.
• The Huskies are averaging 80.7 possessions per game and recorded a season-high 114 possessions in a double overtime victory over the Panthers.

NEXT UP
• NIU will host Ball State on Saturday, Feb. 18 on Play4Kay Day in a doubleheader with the NIU men's team. The Huskies will don pink uniforms and be accepting donations for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in honor of the late  NC State coach.
• Tipoff with the Cardinals is set for 1 p.m. Central time.