SERIES HISTORY
Ball State owns a 35-19 advantage in the all-time series history between the two schools, including a 12-14 record in games played in DeKalb. Ball State won the last meeting in the Convocation Center, 92-84, Feb. 18, 2017. The last NIU victory at home came Feb. 16, 2012 when the Huskies defeated Ball State, 58-44. Ball State won the earlier meeting this year in Muncie while the last Huskie win in the series came last year when NIU scored a 101-96 victory over the Cardinals at Worthen Arena on Jan. 28, 2017. It was the highest-scoring game between the two schools in series history.
 
WHEN LAST WE MET
Turnovers and the inability to get the timely basket cost NIU as it suffered an 81-72 setback to Ball State at Worthen Arena Saturday. The Huskies committed 21 turnovers, which Ball State converted into 28 points. Courtney Woods led the way for NIU with a game-high 37 points and a career-best 15 rebounds, 14 on the defensive glass. It was Woods' fifth double-double of her career and second of the week.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Huskies recorded their third-straight win when NIU posted a 73-68 victory over Bowling Green last week at home. Saturday's game was won at the free throw line as the Huskies converted 21-of-24 free throw attempts, led by Courtney Woods who was a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe. The Huskie junior also posted her eighth double of the season, scoring a game-high 29 points and hauling in 12 rebounds.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Huskies improved to 6-3 at home this season, 323-221 all-time and 20-14 in the Convocation Center under NIU head coach Lisa Carlsen after NIU's 73-68 victory over Bowling Green. Including Saturday's game versus the Cardinals, the Huskies will play three of their final five games of the regular season. NIU closes out the regular season at home against Toledo (Feb. 28) and Western Michigan on March 3.
 
HUSKIE HARDWARE
Courtney Woods earned her fourth MAC West Player of the Week award following her performance last week versus the Zips and Falcons. She averaged a double-double scoring 26 points and hauling in 12 rebounds a game as she helped lead NIU to a perfect 2-0 week. Woods also picked up MAC West Player of the Week honors Nov. 21, Jan. 10 and Jan. 30 this season. 
 
NIU VS. MAC WEST
With their loss to Ball State on Jan. 27, 2017, the Huskies fell to 97-173 all-time and 0-5 this season versus teams from the Mid-American Conference's West Division. NIU is 7-19 versus West foes under Lisa Carlsen, including a 6-6 mark last year.
 
EAST BOUND AND DOWN
NIU wrapped up regular season play versus the MAC East with its 73-68 win over Bowling Green. The Huskies improved to 5-3 this season versus teams from the MAC's East Division and 106-103 all-time with their win over the Falcons. The Huskies swept both meetings with Kent State, defeated Buffalo in overtime on Jan. 6 and Akron on Feb. 7. NIU was swept by Miami and dropped a two-point game at Ohio on Jan. 24. The Huskies are 16-9 versus East foes under Lisa Carlsen.
 
FOUR FOR 30
Courtney Woods became the first Huskie to record four 30-point games in the same season since Ally Lehman did it in 2016-17 recorded her fourth 30-point scoring effort of the season and career when she tallied 37 points against Ball State. She set her career-best mark in points scored with 39 in a victory over Western Illinois (Nov. 18) and again in NIU's victory over Kent State. The Brisbane, Australia native scored 31 points against Eastern Michigan. The last time a Huskie recorded five 30-point games in a single season was Tammy Hinchee in 1988-89.
 
LEADER OF THE PACK
With her game-high 29 points and 12 rebounds against Bowling Green, Courtney Woods led the Huskies in both categories in the same game for the seventh time this season and for the ninth time in her career. Woods also accomplished the feat twice last year. Last season, Ally Lehman led the team in scoring and rebounding a team-best five times. Lehman was also the last Huskie to lead the Huskies in points and rebounds in a game in a single season when she did it 11 times in 2015-16.
 
KEEPING SCORE
Courtney Woods has amassed 1,378 career points following her 29-point performance against the Falcons. The Huskie junior ranks 15th on NIU's all-time scoring list. She is 38 points from surpassing Charmonique Stallworth (1992-96).
 
OUT OF THE WOODS
Courtney Woods averages 21.8 points a game, which ranks 10th in the nation and first in the MAC. Woods also leads the league and ranks 29th in the country in field goals made with 184. Her 522 points this season leads the MAC and ranks 16th nationally.
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Courtney Woods recorded her team-best eighth double-double of the season when she scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds vs. the Falcons. Kelly Smith joined Woods and Ally May as the only Huskies with multiple double-double games this season when she scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds against the Bobcats. It was the second time this season two Huskies recoded a double-double in the same game. May posted her double-doubles against Western Illinois and Miami (Dec. 30).
 
Player                               Game           Pts.       Rebs.     Assist
Courtney Woods                  Bowling Green   29            12            --
Courtney Woods                  Akron              23            12            --
Courtney Woods                  Miami              17            10            --
Courtney Woods                  Ball State         37            15            --
Kelly Smith                          Ohio                18            12
Courtney Woods                  Ohio                17            10
Courtney Woods                  C. Michigan      25            10            --
Mikayla Voigt                       Toledo             16            --            10
Courtney Woods                  Buffalo            17            10            --
Ally May                              Miami              16            11            --
Myia Starks                         Albany             19            10            --
Kelly Smith                          Chicago St.      23            10            --
Courtney Woods                  W. Illinois         39            11            --
Ally May                              W. Illinois         10            16            --
 
CRASHING THE GLASS
Kelly Smith is seven rebounds shy of entering NIU's 600-rebound club. The Huskie senior averages 5.8 rebounds a game this season and 5.4 for her career. Smith would be the 19th Huskie to record 600 career rebounds and the first since Ally Lehman (2013-17) who finished with 990.
 
MAY I HELP YOU
Mikayla Voigt is a member of NIU's 250-point assist club as the Huskie junior has 277 for her career. Voigt, who recorded her 250th career assist at Ball State earlier this season, ranks 17th on NIU's all-time list and is eight away from surpassing Marke Freeman. She tallied a career best 10 in her first career double-double performance at Toledo on Jan 13, 2018.
 
NO REST NEEDED
Mikayla Voigt leads the league in minutes played and minutes played per game and ranks 112th and 43rd in the nation in those categories, respectively. Voigt has played 875 minutes in 23 games this season averaging 36.46 minutes played a game.
 
MIKAYLA'S MILESTONE
Mikayla Voigt reached the 1,000th-career point plateau with a three-pointer from the left wing in NIU's victory at Kent State. Voigt joined her teammates Courtney Woods and Kelly Smith in the 1,000-career-point club. The Huskie junior has 1,035 career points after scoring 15 vs. Bowling Green. She scored a career best 380 points last year and is 46 points from surpassing that this season.
 
MILLENNIALS
When Mikayla Voigt joined Courtney Woods and Kelly Smith in the 1,000th-career point club at Kent State, it marked the first time three Huskies scored their 1,000th-career point in the same season. The last time more than one Huskie scored their 1,000th career point in the same season was 1993-94 when E.C. Hill and Angela Lockett accomplished the feat. Smith and Woods became the first Huskie teammates to reach the 1,000-career point plateau in the same game, almost on back-to-back buckets, in NIU's victory over Loyola (Dec. 6). Woods scored her 1,000th-point on the Huskies' second to last basket of the first half, while Smith hit NIU's opening shot of the second half to score her 1,000th-career point.
 
WOOLLACOTT WARMING UP
Abby Woollacott scored a career-high 19 points, going 8-of-11 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free throw line in NIU's victory over Bowling Green. Her previous career best was six points achieved three times this season, the last time at Ohio Jan. 24, 2018.
 
RILEY ON THE REBOUND
Freshman Riley Blackwell posted her first double-digit rebounding game of her career when she grabbed 10 versus Bowling Green Saturday. Blackwell recorded five offensive and five defensive rebounds against the Falcons.
 
WINNING WAYS
With its wins over Kent State, Akron and Bowling Green, the NIU women's basketball team has won three straight games for the third time this season and the first time since the Huskies four-game winning streak from Nov. 29-Dec. 20. The Huskies defeated Bradley (Nov. 29), Loyola (Dec. 6) and SIUE (Dec. 17). The Huskies longest winning streak this year is four.
 
CLOSE CALLS
Eight of NIU's 12 conference games this season have been decided by five points or less, including its five-point win over the Falcons Saturday. The Huskies are 3-5 in those games. Last season, NIU also participated in eight games decided by five points or less, winning six and losing two. The Huskies have played in seven games this season decided by three points or less and are 3-4 in such contests.
 
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Freshmen Gabby Nikitinaite and Riley Blackwell made their first career starts at Kent State. Nikitinaite finished with 13 points and five rebounds, while Blackwell contributed two points, two rebounds and two blocks. The Huskie duo have started the two games as well with Nikitiniate averaging 5.2 point per game and Blackwell contributing 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds a game.
 
TWO TO TANGO
The Huskies' 77-75 loss at Ohio on Jan. 24 was the fifth game this season decided by two points or less and dropped NIU to 3-2 in such contests this season. Each of NIU's first three games of conference play was decided by two points. The Huskies opened MAC play with a 67-65 loss at Miami, before beating Kent State (Jan. 3), 81-79, and Buffalo (Jan. 6), 86-84, in overtime. NIU posted a 96-94 win over Western Illinois in the 2017-18 home opener on Nov. 18.
 
DEFENDING THE GLASS
NIU recorded a season-high 42 defensive rebounds in its victory over the Bulls as the Huskies out-rebounded Buffalo, 59-58. The Huskies lead the MAC and are 8th in the country in defensive rebounds, grabbing 30 a game. NIU ranks fourth in the league and 45th in country in rebounds per game, averaging 41.3.
 
ON THE REBOUND
NIU tied a Convocation Center record for rebounds in a game when it grabbed a season-high 59 rebounds. The last time the Huskies had 59 rebounds at home was Nov. 11, 2011 versus Western Illinois. Last season, the Huskies had five games of 50 rebounds or more, hauling in a season-high 57 versus Illinois State.
 
ON THE BOARDS
Abby Woollacott turned in her best rebounding performance of her career in NIU's victory over Buffalo, hauling in 13 rebounds and scoring a season-high six points against the Bulls. Her previous career high was 10 rebounds last year versus Ohio (Jan. 7). The Huskie sophomore has 51 rebounds this season, four shy of breaking last year's total of 54.
 
CASTRO'S CAREER BESTS
Redshirt freshman Paulina Castro established career highs in three offensive categories and tied a fourth in NIU's loss to Eastern Michigan. She scored a career best 14 points, going 5-of-7 from the floor, career highs in field goals and field goals attempted. Her four three pointers made ties her career high in that category set against Sacramento State. Castro saw the first action of her NIU career when she started in the Huskies' season opener at Eastern Illinois. Castro, who sat out all of the 2016-17 season battling Hodgkins Lymphoma, collected one rebound and one assist in 10 minutes of play against the Panthers.
 
POINT TAKEN
Mikayla Voigt scored a career-high 26 points in NIU's overtime victory over Buffalo in the Convocation Center. The Huskie junior went 8-of-19 from the field, including 4-for-11 from three-point territory, and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. She surpassed her previous career best of 25 set in NIU's overtime setback to Albany in Puerto Rico.
 
BRAGGING RIGHTS
With its 86-75 victory at SIUE, NIU improved to 125-123 against Division I teams from the state of Illinois and completed the season sweep of their Illinois opponents, going 6-0 versus in-state rivals. The Huskies have won their last 10 games versus in-state foes and 15 of their last 16. The Huskies' only loss during that stretch was an 83-79 setback at Western Illinois. NIU is 15-2 overall under Lisa Carlsen against Illinois opponents. The last time the Huskies went undefeated versus teams from the Land of Lincoln was 1989-90 when NIU went 9-0 against in-state competition.
 
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE HONOREE
Junior Mikayla Voigt tallied 19 points in an 80-59 win at Chicago State and against Lamar on 5-of-12 in the tournament finale at the 2017 UTSA Thanksgiving Classic. Those performances, coupled with her 4.0 GPA while pursuing her bachelors degree in nursing, helped her earn MAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors from the MAC on Nov. 30. She is the first NIU woman to win the award this year and the second Huskie, joining Football's Jackson Abresch.
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
The Huskies had a season-high five players finish in double figures in their win over Western Illinois. Last season, NIU accomplished the feat seven times and Saturday's quintet of double-digit scorers are the most since Jan. 25, 2017 when six Huskies finished in double figures against Kent State. Courtney Woods led the way with 39 points and Mikayla Voigt followed with 16. Kelly Smith and Janae Poisson tallied 14 and 11 points, respectively, while May finished with 11.
 
WELCOME NEWCOMERS
NIU head coach Lisa Carlsen welcomed two new members to her staff for this year. Maria Kasza joined NIU as an assistant coach, while Quinn Rear was added to the staff as director of basketball operations. Kasza came to NIU after spending the last five seasons as an assistant at Michigan Tech. Rear joined the NIU staff following two seasons as a graduate assistant at Truman State.
 
FOREIGN HUSKIES
Freshman Gabby Nikitinaite, a native of Orpington, Kent, United Kingdom, is the second foreign player on the Huskie roster. She joins Courtney Woods, who hails from Brisbane, Australia.
 
SEEKING A POSTSEASON ENCORE
The Huskies, who made their first postseason appearance since 1995 when they participated in the 2017 Women's National Invitational Tournament, are looking to make it consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 1994-95. NIU made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1993-94 and 1994-95.
 
HALL CALL
Huskies women's basketball legend Angela Lockett was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 6, 2017. Lockett, who starred for the Huskies from 1990-92, 1993-95 was a scoring and rebounding force who helped guide the NIU women's basketball team to the postseason in each of her four seasons on the court. Seventh on NIU's all-time scoring list, she also led NIU in rebounding for four seasons, closing her career with 1,014 career boards, the third best mark in school history.
 
TWENTY-ONE AND OVER
The Huskies are coming off a 21-12 record in 2016-17. It was NIU's first 20-win season since 1993-94 and the sixth in school history. The school record for wins in a season is 26 set in 1989-90 when the Huskies posted a 26-5 record.
 
WORKING OVERTIME
NIU improved to 1-1 in overtime games this season and 28-25 all-time when it defeated Buffalo, 86-84, in overtime in the Convocation Center. The Huskies fell to Albany, 97-91, in overtime on Dec. 21, 2017 in NIU's final game in Puerto Rico. NIU is 2-3 in overtime affairs under Lisa Carlsen and are 4-2 in double overtime contests all-time.
 
CARLSEN CLIMBING
Lisa Carlsen enters her third season as head coach of the NIU Women's Basketball team. She has a 45-42 record at NIU for a .517 winning percentage, putting her behind Rita Horky (1981-83), who finished with a .525 winning percentage (31-28). With the win over Loyola, Carlsen surpassed Liz Galloway-McQuitter for sixth all-time at NIU in wins and has a career record of 229-202 in 15 seasons as a head coach. She needs three wins to pass Alice Textor (1977-81), who tallied a 47-46 record.