Women's Basketball | January 22

DEKALB, Ill. – The top two offenses in the Mid-American Conference square off at the NIU Convocation Center Wednesday night when the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team hosts the Ohio Bobcats at 6 p.m.
 
Ohio (15-1, 4-1 MAC) leads the conference in scoring with 83.6 points per game, with NIU second at 80.2 points per game. The Huskies are averaging 84.3 points per game on the home floor this season, shooting 43.7 percent from the field while posting an 8-1 record at the Convocation Center.
 
After allowing over 85 points to both Kent State and Central Michigan, NIU (11-6, 3-2 MAC) has held its last two opponents under 60 points. This is the second time this season the Huskies have held consecutive opponents under 60, holding Eastern Illinois to 59 and Chicago State to 52. In the last two wins, NIU has held its opponents to 35.6 percent shooting from the field with a rebound margin of +9.0. The Huskies have also forced 37 turnovers over the last two games. NIU is 9-2 this season when holding opponents to 75 points or less, and 5-0 when holding opponents under 60 points. The Huskies are 15-1 during head coach Lisa Carlsen's tenure when holding opponents under 60 points. 
 
NIU's win on Sunday over Akron was the third time this season that the Huskies had a pair of 20-point scorers. Sophomore Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School) led all scorers with 23 points, going 9-for-17 from the field with three three-pointers. It was her 11^th consecutive game scoring in double figures. During that stretch she has more than doubled her scoring average from six points per game to 13.4 points per game. Mikayla Voigt (Slinger, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) had her seventh 20-point game of the season on Jan. 20 against Akron.

Ohio enters Wednesday night's game with a record of 15-1, and is tied with Buffalo atop the MAC East at 4-1. The Bobcats earned an 85-44 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday, shooting 50 percent from the floor with 14 three-pointers. Dominique Doseck led Ohio with 21 points, making six three-pointers. Erica Johnson added 16 points off the bench. Cierra Hooks leads Ohio, and is fifth in the MAC, in scoring at 16.8 points per game.

Tickets for Wednesday night's Family Feud Night, the first of five Game Show Wednesdays, are available through the NIU Convocation Center Box Office by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) or by logging on to NIUHuskies.com/tickets.
 
--NIU--