THE NEED TO KNOWS
NIU (18-6, 11-2 MAC) vs Ball State (17-8, 10-3 MAC)
DeKalb, Ill. (Convocation Center)
Tipoff: Feb. 18, 1 p.m.
Video: ESPN3
Radio: WLBK 98.9 FM/1360 AM
Live Stats: NIUHuskies.com
 
MATCHUP DETAILS
NIU trails Ball State in the all-time series, 33-19; trails in DeKalb, 17-11
 
FREE THROWS
• NIU is No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 87.3 points per game, and have scored at least 90 points 10 times. The Huskies are coming off its lowest scoring performance of the season.
• The victory at Miami tied Northern Illinois University's record for most MAC wins, set in 1984-85 under then first year Head Coach Jane Albright.
• The Huskies won at Ball State on Jan. 28, 101-96, and overcame an 11-point deficit in the triumph.
• Northern Illinois University extended its road winning streak to seven games at Miami, 63-61, as Ally Lehman rallied the team to victory with a 33-point effort to lead all scorers in the country on Wednesday night. 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 - Ally Lehman (17.6) Courtney Woods (17.2) and Cassidy Glenn (16.0).
• The reigning MAC West Player of the Week Ally Lehman is shooting 56.9 percent from the field and averaging 31 points per game in the last three games. She is the first player since Charmonique Stallworth in 1995-96 to record three-straight 25+ point performances.
• NIU 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 five regular season games remaining, the Huskies scoring average is currently the fourth-best in Mid-American Conference history and highest clip since Toledo averaged 83.6 in 1996-97.
 
THE ROAD WARRIORS
• For the first time since 1993-94, NIU has won at least nine road games following its 63-61 win at Miami.
• The victory extended the Huskies streak to seven-straight wins away from the Convocation Center, starting on Dec. 20 at UMKC.
• Five of their road games have been single-digit victories, including a one-point triumph on Jan. 11 at Kent State, 98-97, and a two-point win against the RedHawks, 63-61.
• Sporting an unbeaten clip in MAC road games, NIU is one of 15 teams nationally to open conference play unbeaten on the road, joining the likes of UConn, Maryland, Florida State and Baylor.
• As a team, Northern Illinois University has averaged 86.1 points per game in its last seven road affairs, dishing 16.6 assists per game and shooting 47 percent.
• Ally Lehman has scored 21.3 points per game during the team's road streak, over six points more than her nearest counterpart, Courtney Woods (14.9).
• In fact, in MAC road games, the Nineveh, Ind., native is averaging 22.2 points, 10.3 rebound and 6.0 assists per game while shooting an incredible .547 from the field, accounting for over 25 percent of the team's offense with four others averaging 10-or-more points.
 
THE GLADIATRIX
• When the Huskies needed an answer to offensive queries, senior Ally Lehman answered the call, attacking the basket 22 times with 12 baskets and an 8-of-11 clip at the free throw line for 33 point night versus the RedHawks.
• She was the only NIU player to score in double figures in the game, the first time the Huskies have not had multiple players score in double figures.
• The performance was Lehman's third 30-point game of the season and her third-straight game with at least 29 points, averaging 31 points in Northern Illinois' last three games.
• The Nineveh, Ind., native became the first player since NIU Athletics Hall of Fame Charmonique Stallworth in 1995-96 to score at least 25 points in three-straight games.
• It was the first time since Feb. 24, 2016 at Western Michigan when Lehman accounted for a then-school record 41 points that a Huskies scored 50 percent of NIU's points in a victory.
 
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 had never scored 20-or-more points in consecutive games.
• Following her last three performances, Lehman surpassed both Cassidy Glenn and Courtney Woods to assume the team's top-scoring duties at 17.6 points per game.
• She scored 48 points to tie the Mid-American Conference record versus Milwaukee on Nov. 16 in her first game with 30-or-more points per game. She is the ninth Huskie to reach the total three times in a single season and the first since Marke Freeman in 2010-11.
 
GET TO THE LINE
• With 298 trips to the free throw line in the last 13 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 230-for-298 (.772) in MAC play.
• While the team was 14-of-23 at the line at Miami, it hit eight of its final nine free throws, recapturing the lead with Ally Lehman at the line.
• 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.
• NIU is No. 5 nationally in team free throw percentage with a 78.7 percent clip and seventh in free throws made with 406 this season (16.9/G).
 
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 bye 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.
 
THE RETURN GAME
• In Northern Illinois University's first meeting with Ball State on Jan. 28, the Huskies accounted for 101 points, besting the Cardinals 96 points in the effort.
• It was the NIU's first 100-point game versus a MAC foe since 2004 when they won at Bowling Green in 2004, 102-94.
• While Courtney Woods scored 21 points to lead NIU, Ally Lehman finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 18 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.
• Lehman and BSU's Carmen Grande combined for 21 assists in the meeting at Worthen Arena.
• The Huskies overcame an 11-point deficit in the game and shot 11-for-15 from the field in the fourth period with a perfect 4-for-4 tally behind the three-point line.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• Ball State will enter this weekend's matchup with a 17-8 record and boast a 10-3 clip in the Mid-American Conference.
• Since falling to NIU on Jan. 28 at home, 101-96, the Cardinals have won three of their last four games, falling last Saturday to Ohio, 72-68.
• BSU chased the Bobcats the entire second half and were able to take a one-point lead with 3:29 left on a pair of Renee Bennett free throws, 63-62, but a pair of three-pointers brought Ohio back to life and energized OU to a 10-5 run.
• Bennett, who scored 27 points in the contest, leads Ball State in points and rebounds with averages 17.4 and 8.2, respectively.
• The 6-5 center's 55 percent field goal percentage ranks her 31st in the country and second in the MAC.
• Moriah Monaco and Jill Morrison complement her scoring with averages of 15.5 and 10.5, respectively. Monaco, a forward by trade, is also the team's leading three-point shooter with 72 makes and a .369 percentage behind the arc.
 
NEXT UP
• The Huskies will be on the road for both of their contests next week, heading to Central Michigan for a Wednesday night showdown on Feb. 22.
• Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. Central time and will be aired live on ESPN3.