THE NEED TO KNOWS
Tipoff: Wednesday, March 1, 8 p.m.
Video: American Sports Network/ESPN3
Radio: WLBK 98.9 FM/1360 AM
Live Stats: NIUHuskies.com

MATCHUP DETAILS
NIU trails Toledo in the all-time series, 31-19; leads in DeKalb, 13-10

FREE THROWS
• NIU is No. 4 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 86.9 points per game, and have scored at least 90 points 10 times.
• NIU will honor Cassidy Glenn, Amber Gray and Ally Lehman prior to tipoff in Senior Day ceremonies.
• The Huskies won the first meeting with Toledo on Jan. 14, 77-73, to claim their first win at Toledo since 2007.
• A win by NIU would clinch the team's first top-three finish in program history. The triumph at EMU clinched a No. 5 seed for Northern Illinois University.
• The Huskies are the only team in the country with five players averaging 10-or-more points per game.
• After opening the game 0-for-3 in three-point field goals, NIU made 10-of-18 shots behind the arc to close the night with a .476 three-point percentage and register its ninth game with 10-or-more treys.
• The victory at Eastern Michigan was Northern Illinois University's 12th MAC win of the season, setting a new program record for Mid-American Conference wins.
• The Huskies are seeking their 20th-win of the season and last reached the plateau in 1993-94.
• 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 two 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.

BATTLE FOR THE DUB
• With like 19-8 records this season, both NIU and Toledo are battling for their 20th win of the season on Wednesday.
• The Huskies win would break a streak of 24 seasons without reaching the 20-win mark. Northern Illinois University finished 24-6 in 1993-94 en route to an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament and later edge by Missouri State, 75-56.
• NIU Athletics Hall of Fame Coach Jane Albright led NIU to 20 wins five times in her 10 seasons in DeKalb. Head Coach Lisa Carlsen would be just the second coach to reach the mark.
• Toledo last reached the plateau in 2012-13, finishing 29-4 and earning a berth to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT.
• Both Ball State and Central Michigan have won at least 20 games this season with two other teams - Buffalo and Ohio - joining the Huskies and the Rockets at 19 wins.

CELEBRATE HISTORY
• With the win at Eastern Michigan last Saturday, NIU improved to 12-4 in Mid-American Conference games, the most wins the program has ever achieved as a member of the MAC.
• During the 1984-85 season, only the third season of the NCAA era and NIU's affiliation in the MAC, the Huskies finished 11-7 to set the standard.
• Of the Huskies coaching and support staffs, only Head Coach Lisa Carlsen, athletic trainer Frank Garcia and radio play-by-play commentator Andy Garcia was alive when NIU reached the mark.
• This season's 12 conference wins marks the sixth time the program has won that many contests in league play, including perfect seasons in 1989-90 (12-0) and 1993-94 (18-0).

PUNCHING THE TICKET
• With a win over Toledo, the Huskies would punch their ticket straight to Cleveland for the Mid-American Conference Tournament, earning a First Round bye.
• The victory would also ensure at least a third-place finish for NIU, its highest finish ever as a member of the MAC. The Huskies have finished fourth-place three times in its history, all under different head coaches.
• Carol Owens guided NIU to a 10-6 tally in conference play in 2008-09 while Jane Albright's 11-7 team in 1984-85 paved the way for a No. 4 seed in the MAC Tournament. 
• In her lone season in charge in 1983-84, Cherri Block led Northern Illinois University to a 9-9 record and a four-seed in the MAC tourney.

UNPARALLELED EFFICIENCY AT THE LINE
• All season, Northern Illinois has posted marksman like efficiency at the free throw line, shooting over 80 percent 15 times.
• Tied for ninth nationally with Stephen F. Austin, NIU has made 451 shots from the free throw line, 78 makes behind national leader and MAC foe Kent State.
• However, amongst opponents ranked in the top-10, the Huskies have attempted at least 40 fewer shots at the charity stripe and are the only team with fewer than 600 attempts.
• Vanderbilt, who is No. 5 in makes with 459, has attempted 612 free throws in 29 games.
• NIU's 78.8 clip at the line puts them at fifth nationally in free throw percentage while its 572 attempts are 39th most in the NCAA this season.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HER FRIENDS
• Amassing 172 assists while averaging 6.4 per game this season, senior Ally Lehman has produced with her passing as well as her scoring this season.
• In her career, the Nineveh, Ind., native has dished 496 helpers in her career, just one shy of tying Stephanie Raymond for No. 2 all-time in the Huskie annals.
• With four assists, Lehman could become the 22nd player in Mid-American Conference history and just the second Huskies to reach the 500-assist mark in her career.
• Denise Dove holds NIU's all-time record in assists, dishing 526 helpers from 1987-91.

SALUTE TO THE SENIORS
• Prior to Wednesday night's game, the Huskies will honor seniors Cassidy Glenn, Amber Gray and Ally Lehman. Below is a list of the program's accomplishments over the last four seasons.
• Nine comebacks of 10 points or larger, including four this season.
• The most MAC wins in a season in program history (12) and the most wins since 2007.
• Currently averaging the fourth-highest point total in Mid-American Conference history.
• Finished second in the country in fewest turnovers per game in 2014-15.
• Defeated Eastern Michigan on the road in overtime in the First Round of the MAC Tournament.
• Buzzer-beating victory over Buffalo on Jan. 29, 2016, as Cassidy Glenn's three-pointer was the No. 4 play o SportCenter's top-10.

NEW STANDARD IN SOPHOMORE SCORING
• Through 27 games, Courtney Woods has been amongst the Huskies top two scorers this season, currently averaging 17.1 points per game with 11 20-point games.
• With her 22 points at EMU, Woods improved her season point total to 462, finishing one point shy of moving into the top-three of the all-time sophomore scoring list at NIU.
• Woods is 76 points shy of Lisa Foss' record of 548 points in 28 games during the 1987-88 season.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• Toledo enters the game with a 19-8 overall record and a 10-6 clip in Mid-American Conference games.
• The Rockets have won five of their last six games defeating Western Michigan twice in that span with their only loss occurring at the hands of Central Michigan on Feb. 18, 72-61.
• Leading scorer Janice Monakana, who averages 12.5 points per game this season, has tallied a clip of 13 points per game in her last three outings while Mikaela Boyd is coming off a 23-point afternoon versus WMU last Saturday.
• Boyd was 8-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 at the free-throw line. 
• Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott is also averaging 12.0 points per game while both Boyd and Mariella Santucci have tallied over 100 assists this season.

WHEN FIRST THEY MET
• When the Huskies and Rockets first met on Jan. 14 at Savage Arena, NIU led the contest from start to finish and survived three ties by Toledo to try and overthrow the visitors lead.
• Northern Illinois University built a 17-point lead in the first half and relied on hot-shooting from Ally Lehman and Courtney Woods to record the program's first win at Toledo since 2007.
• Woods led with 21 points as she made four three-pointers in the game while Lehman added 20 points and 12 rebounds in her 11th double-double of the season
• Janice Monakona came off the bench in the contest and contributed 21 points, having missed the previous two games for Toledo with an injury.
• Northern Illinois benefitted from Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott playing only three minutes in the first half as she picked up two fouls in the first quarter. She finished with nine points in the game.

WE ARE WHO WE ARE
• The Huskies equal scoring all season has been a big part of the team's success to start the year.
• NIU has had four-or-more players with 10 points-or-more in a game 18 times this season and five-or-more hit the mark 10 times.
• Fourth nationally in average points (86.9), Northern Illinois University five players – Cassidy Glenn, Ally Lehman, Kelly Smith, Mikayla Voigt and Courtney Woods – who are averaging double figures with Janae Poisson just shy of a 10-point average at 9.1.

NEXT UP
• The Huskies will close the regular season on Saturday, March 4 at Western Michigan.
• Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. Central at Read Fieldhouse. The game will air live on ESPN3.