THE NEED TO KNOWS
Tipoff: Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m. Central 
TV: CBS Sports Network 
Radio: WLBK 98.9 FM/1360 AM
Live Stats: MAC-Sports.com

MATCHUP DETAILS
NIU trails Toledo in the all-time series, 32-19

GOING TO THE SHIP
• After an early four-point deficit in the first quarter, a 14-0 run by pushed the Huskies past Western Michigan for good as NIU did not release the offensive throttle to defeat WMU, 83-55.
• Leading 24-14 with 7:30 left in the opening half, senior Ally Lehman, the team leader in points, rebounds and assists, went to the bench for the rest of the half with two fouls.
• Despite the maestro sitting on the bench, the Huskie offense did not skip a beat as they extended their lead to 20 points at the end of the half, shooting 6-for-10 from the field in that span.
• The team also accounted for 11 assists in the half with four players contributing at least two dimes.
• Northern Illinois shot 53.3 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes with a 61.5 percent clip in the second period alone.
• The free-throw line was especially kind to the Huskies as it made 17 of their 21 attempts at the line with Kelly Smith accounting for nine of her 17 points at the stripe.
• NIU had five scorers in double figures, including reserve Janae Poisson, who scored 10 points for the first time since Jan. 28 at Ball State. It was the 12th time in her freshman campaign she accomplished the feat.
• The Huskies were evenly matched with the Broncos in the third quarter, however, NIU would outscore WMU in the final period 21-13 to push its lead to 28 points, where it ended the game, 83-55.
• Western Michigan's 55 points were the fewest points scored by an NIU opponent this season, surpassing the previous total of 66 versus Illinois State on Nov. 26.
• Defensively, NIU held the Broncos to 30.8 percent from the field in 78 attempts and held four of its starters to under 10 points. Only Breanna Mobley (17 points) reached the mark.

FIVE TIMES THE FUN
• For the 10th time this season, the NIU Huskies put five scorers above the 10-point mark against WMU on Friday afternoon.
• However, it had not accomplished the feat since Jan. 14 at Toledo when the Huskies grounded the Rockets at Savage Arena, 77-70. 
• NIU is 9-1 when five scorers record 10-or-more points this season. 
• As a bye-product of its diverse scoring, Northern Illinois University is the only team in the country with five players averaging 10-or-more points per game.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
• Saturday's championship game appearance will be NIU's first in the Mid-American Conference since 1982 when it took on Miami in the Mid-American Conference Invitational, falling 58-56.
• As an NCAA institution, Northern Illinois University is making its first conference championship appearance since 1994-95 when it played in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Championship against La Salle.
• All-time, the Huskies are 4-3 in conference championship games with wins in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1995. NIU was a member of the Mid-Continent Conference from 1992-94 and the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1994-97.
• Ally Lehman, the eldest player on the NIU roster, was not born when the Huskies last won a conference championship game.

#1 VERSUS #1
• Saturday's championship game will feature the No. 1 offense and defense in the Mid-American Conference this season.
• NIU enters the game with an 85.6 point per game average while Toledo is holding its foes to just 61.3 points per game.
• The Huskies scored 77 points in their first game on the road at Toledo while scoring 75 at home on March 1 in DeKalb.
• Northern Illinois' 77 points are the second-highest point total the Rockets have allowed this season behind Notre Dame's 85 points on Dec. 18.

THE NIU-TOLEDO SERIES
• The championship game will be the Huskies and Rockets third meeting this year with each team posting a victory on the road.
• During a week-long road trip in Ohio over the holiday break, Northern Illinois University led from start to finish at Savage Arena to defeat the Rockets, 77-70.
• Ally Lehman and Courtney Woods scored 20 and 21 points, respectively, in the contest with Lehman also pulling down 12 rebounds.
• In the rubber match on NIU's Senior Night, the Huskies got off to a fast start, taking a 15-point lead in the second quarter but only held a six-point edge at halftime.
• Though NIU led after three as well, the fourth quarter was all Toledo as it outscored the Huskies 30-25 in the period to earn its 20th victory of the season, 79-75.
• Forward Janice Monakana's 5-for-9 shooting performance behind the arc was the rallying beacon for the Rockets as she finished with 27 points and 17 rebounds.

HUSKIES, ROCKETS AND #MACTION, OH MY!
• Since the Mid-American Conference began staging its postseason tournament in Cleveland, then known as Gund Arena in 2000, the Huskies have played Toledo four times at the now christened Quicken Loans Arena.
• Northern Illinois University has posted a 1-3 record against the Rockets in Cleveland, last winning in 2005.
• The two teams last met in 2012, the last time the Huskies won at Quicken Loans Arena, but Toledo ended NIU's season in the quarterfinals, 72-62.
• In the last four years, Northern Illinois University is 3-5 versus UT, splitting the series in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

GET TO THE LINE
• NIU has had unparalleled success at the free throw line this, finishing the regular season in the top-10 in both makes and percentage. 
• Following its 17-for-21 performance on Friday afternoon, NIU is 505-for-641 (.788) from the free throw line this season, making at least 20 trips to the free throw line 17 times.
• Northern Illinois University is 27-for-33 from the free throw line this postseason, led by Kelly Smith's 10-of-13 clip at the line. The junior was 9-for-12 versus WMU, setting a new career-high in both makes and attempts.

ONE OF THE UNSUNG HEROES
• With 12 points off the bench against Ohio on Wednesday night, Renee Sladek proved to be NIU's biggest difference maker in its historic comeback.
• Her season-high versus the Bobcats was followed by a four-point afternoon against the Broncos but her efficiency has been the most impressive part of her game.
• In the last two games, the Merrill, Wis., native has gone 7-of-8 from the field (.875) and 2-for-2 at the charity stripe while also averaging four rebounds off the glass.
• Prior to the tournament, Sladek had only reached double figures twice this season.
• She missed the 2015-16 season after undergoing season ending surgery before the season started.

OTHER TIDBITS FROM WEDNESDAY
• Senior Ally Lehman finished the night 8-of-15 from the field with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists. She was a perfect 6-of-6 in the second half of the game during the NIU comeback.
• The Huskies posted their best shooting performance in a quarter this season when they went 10-of-12 (.833) from the field.
• Northern Illinois' 28-point margin in the paint (44-16) was its largest over an opponent all season.
• After shooting 9-for-21 (.429) behind the arc in the first half, the Bobcats finished 4-of-17 in the second half with a 1-of-10 clip in the fourth period.
• Four Huskies scored in double-figures during the game, paced by Mikayla Voigt's 19-point effort.
• The Huskies 24 points in the first half was NIU's lowest total in the opening two periods this season.
• Northern Illinois University out rebounded Ohio 41-38 and had not outrebounded a foe since Feb. 15 at Miami (W, 63-61).

HOW THEY GOT HERE
• It is not a stretch to say that Toledo is the hottest team in the Mid-American Conference as it has won its last seven games, including one over NIU on March 1.
• Finishing tied for fourth in the MAC with the Huskies and Ohio in the final standings, the Rockets lost a three-way tiebreaker to earn the tournament's No. 6 seed.
• Hosting a first round contest at Savage Arena, Toledo throttled Akron, 65-37, and bounced back two days later to upset No. 3 seed Kent State, 67-63.
• In Friday's second semifinal versus Buffalo, the Rockets controlled Buffalo for most of the game as the Bulls committed 21 fouls to limit their own possession. 
• UB shot .419 from the field but fell to the Rockets, 72-65. 

LOOKING AHEAD
• The NCAA Selection Show will air live on ESPN at 6 p.m. Central on Monday, March 13.
• If NIU does not advance to The Big Dance, the Huskies would earn a berth to the WNIT, which will also be announced next Monday.