DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team heads to Las Vegas this weekend to participate in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout at South Point Arena. The Huskies will take on Tennessee Tech on Friday, November 29 and South Dakota on Saturday, November 30. Tip-off for both games is 3:15 p.m. central.
 
NIU (2-3) and Tennessee Tech will meet for the first time on Friday. The Huskies and South Dakota have played once in the 2016-17 season. The Coyotes came away with the 97-83 win in Kansas City on December 19, 2016.
 
The Huskies made eight three-pointers in the first half at Purdue last Sunday on their way to taking a 35-30 halftime lead. The Boilermakers outscored NIU 21-11 in the third quarter to take a 51-46 lead. NIU made a late 13-2 run in the fourth quarter to get within two points but were not able to tie the game as Purdue took the 68-63 win. Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) led NIU with 16 points and four assists, making a season-high three three-pointers. Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) and Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School) each had eight points. NIU got 22 points from its bench at Purdue as all 10 Huskies that played scored.
 
NIU leads the MAC in rebounding, averaging 45.4 boards per game. Six Huskies had at least four rebounds at Purdue on November 24 led by Ally May's (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) six.  Freshman guard Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) has had five rebounds in each of the last three games. The Huskies are seventh in the nation in defensive rebounds with 34.4 per game, which has helped them hold opponents to 44 second chance points in five games. NIU has nine players averaging at least four rebounds a game so far this season.
 
Tennessee Tech is 3-2 after a 72-57 win at Samford on November 24. Guard Kesha Brady scored 33 points with eight rebounds in the win as the Golden Eagles shot 50 percent from the field. Tennessee Tech is averaging 71.2 points per game. South Dakota lost its first game of the season Monday night to #22 Missouri State 74-66. The Coyotes are 5-1 on the year and have four players averaging double-figure scoring led by Ciara Duffy's 17.7 points per game. South Dakota averages 78.3 points per game.
 
Following this weekend, NIU wraps up it's seven-game road trip at Milwaukee on December 5.
 
--NIU--