THE NEED TO KNOWS
NIU (15-5, 8-1 MAC) vs Western Michigan (14-6, 5-4 MAC)
DeKalb, Ill. (Convocation Center)
Tipoff: Feb. 4, 1 p.m.
Video: ESPN3
Radio: WLBK 98.9 FM/1360 AM

MATCHUP DETAILS
NIU trails Western Michigan in the all-time series, 33-21; series tied in DeKalb, 15-15

FREE THROWS
• NIU women's basketball is No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 89.1 points per game, 1.6 points shy of national leader Baylor, and have scored at least 90 points nine times.
• With nine regular season games remaining, the Huskies scoring average is currently the second-best in Mid-American Conference history and highest clip since Toledo in 1996-97 (83.6).
• The 2016-17 Huskies are only the seventh team in program history to record at least 15 wins in its first 20 games and are off to their best start in Mid-American Conference history at 8-1.
• Northern Illinois University has gone to the free throw line 209 times in Mid-American Conference play, averaging 23 attempts at the line in their nine games.
• In their previous nine home games, NIU is 8-1, averaging 91.4 points and shooting 44 percent.
• In the final period at Ball State, the Huskies were 11-of-15 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. They also made all four of their shot attempts behind the arc.
• NIU trailed the Cardinals by 11 points in the first quarter at Worthen Arena before completing its third double-digit comeback of the season and the sixth under Lisa Carlsen.
• Ten times this season, including five of its last eight games, NIU has had five players score in double figures while six different Huskies are averaging 10-or-more points per game.
• With a career-best tying 11-assist effort at Ball State, Ally Lehman tied NIU's single-season and career record for 10-assist games with four and five, respectively

ALUMNI IN THE HOUSE
• In conjunction with the men's basketball team and NIU Alumni Association, Northern Illinois University is hosting its annual Alumni Day and Cram The Convo day.
• For the 60th Season celebration, the Huskies are wearing a special throwback uniform, combining the famed running Huskie logo from NIU's five NCAA Tournament teams of the 1990s and the shooting shirts from the 1991-92 season.
• The uniforms are being auctioned online for fans to purchase. Visit NIUHuskies.com for more details.
• Members from all five NCAA Tournament teams are scheduled to be in attendance for the game and the festivities.
• A pre-game social for fans and alumnae will begin at noon in The Sixth Man Grille in the South lobby of the Convocation Center. The postgame reception will also take place in The Sixth Man Grille where fans, players and alums are all invited.
• A complete list of RSVP'd alumnae, coaches and staff are listed on page 4 of the notes.

DISHING IT OUT
• With four players dishing at least four assists at Ball State, Northern Illinois closed the afternoon with a season-high 25 assists on 37 field goals versus the Cardinals.
• It was just the third time this season that four players recorded at least three helpers and the second-straight game accomplishing the feat.
• Ally Lehman did most of the damage against BSU as she tied her career-high with 11 assists.
• Lehman also tied the Huskies season and career records for 10-assist games four and five, respectively, matching the mark by Kelly Robbins in 1995-96 and Amanda Reese from 1995-99.
• The performance was the program's best since at least the Jan. 8, 1998 versus Marshall when NIU amassed 26 assists. Reese led Northern Illinois in the contest with 10 helpers.
• Last Saturday's performance was the 16th 20-assist effort since the result against the Thundering Herd in 1998. The Huskies have dished 20-or-more dimes three times this season.

THE FINISHING TOUCHES
• In the last two second halves, the NIU offense has been a well-oiled machine as it's outscored Kent State and Ball State, 114-92, scoring 57 points in each outing.
• While the point total has been impressive, the Huskies shooting has been deadly as they've amassed a field goal percentage of .551 on 38-of-69 shooting, including an 11-of-19 mark from the three-point line (.579).
• Defensively, though NIU has given up an average of 46 points, it has held the Cardinals and the Golden Flashes to a 37 percent field goal percentage and just a 16-percent clip behind the arc.
• Of the seven Huskies that have taken 4-or-more shots, six of those players have shot over .500 percent with Ally Lehman, Janae Poisson and Mikayla Voigt each shooting over .571 with eight field goals apiece and scoring averages over 11.0 points.
• NIU has only scored 50-or-more points in the second half three times this season, first recording the mark versus Milwaukee on Nov. 16.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• Like the Huskies, Western Michigan did not play Wednesday and enters the game with a 14-6 overall record and a 5-4 clip in the MAC.
• During non-conference play, WMU was 4-0 versus like opponents as NIU, defeating Bradley, Chicago State, Loyola and UMKC.
• In their last five conference games, the Broncos are 2-3 but have gone 2-1 on the road in that span with triumphs at Akron and Eastern Michigan. On the season as a whole, they've posted a 7-3 record on the road.
• Though Marley Hill leads the team in points per game with 15.8, Breanna Mobley is the force that moves WMU with a MAC-leading .565 field goal percentage with 10.2 rebounds and 14.6 points per game.
• Meredith Shipman (11.8) and Deja Wimby (11.0) also scoring in double figures with both players ranking in the top-15 in the MAC in assists. Wimby is fourth with an average of 5.8 dimes per game.

THE COMEBACK KIDS
• NIU continued its knack for theatrical comebacks at Ball State as it overcame an 11-point, first-period deficit to defeat the Cardinals, 101-96.
• After reaching its largest deficit with 2:37 left in the frame, NIU took its first lead of the game with 1:48 remaining in the first half, exchanging six more leads with BSU in the contest.
• While its third quarter play was strong, the Huskies' performance in the fourth quarter was divine as they were 11-of-15 from the field, including 4-of-4 behind the arc, and 4-for-4 at the free throw line. NIU hit its nine attempts (five field goals, four free throws) in the final stanza.
• At Kent State on Jan. 11, the Huskies found themselves in a 12-point hole with 45 seconds left in the third quarter.
• A pair of free throws with 0.9 left by Janae Poisson were the catalyst for the Huskies play in the fourth quarter as they charged toward their second double figures comeback of the season.
• Just 2:49 into the fourth quarter, NIU took its first lead of the second half and took its final with 3:06 remaining in the game, though the Golden Flashes did their best to reclaim the lead.
• Northern Illinois University outscored KSU in the final period, 30-19, to take the contest, 98-97.
• The rally to victory was NIU's second 12-point comeback of the season, last recording the feat in an 114-104 double overtime win over Milwaukee at the Convocation Center on Nov. 16.
• In two seasons under Head Coach Lisa Carlsen, NIU has overcome six double-digit deficits.
• The Huskies' senior class - Cassidy Glenn, Amber Gray and Ally Lehman - have posted eight comebacks of 10-or-more points in the last four years with at least one each season.
• During the four season stretch of 2006-10, NIU overcame 10-points deficits nine times.

DIVERSITY IN ITS SCORING
• In the last six 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 sextet against Kent State.
• Most recently, Courtney Woods was the lone Huskie to summit the 20-point plateau as she scored 21 points. She opened the game 0-for-5 from the three-point line before hitting her next five attempts and shooting 6-of-7 from the field in the second half.
• 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 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 six outings, NIU had at least five scorers reach double figures.

POISSON'S MIDAS TOUCH
• Freshman Janae Poisson has been the Huskies ace in the hole all season long, coming off the bench in all 20 games and averaging 10.9 points per game.
•Twice this season, Poisson has been NIU's No. 1 scoring option, leading the team at Bradley with 13 points with Mikayla Voigt and dropping 27 points at Kent State.
• Her 27-point night versus the Golden Flashes was the first 20-point game the bench since Amanda Corral scored 24 points at Eastern Illinois in 2014-15.
• In addition, it was just the sixth 20-point game by an NIU freshman in the last six seasons and the highest total since at least 2000-01.
• The Matteson, Ill., native is averaging 10.9 points per game and shooting .494 from the field while averaging 20.1 minutes per game off the bench.
• She is also on pace to become just the ninth freshman to score at least 300 points in her first season, joining teammates Mikayla Voigt and Courtney Woods.

NEXT UP
• The Huskies will host preseason-MAC favorite Central Michigan on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at the NIU Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. Central.