DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team wraps up its current three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon with a 2 p.m. matchup against the Drake Bulldogs at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
The Huskies will hold an Ugly Sweater Day on Sunday. Fans who come to the game in an ugly holiday sweater will receive a $3 ticket. It is also Camper Reunion. All basketball campers from this past summer receive free admission if they wear their camp t-shirt. Tickets for Sunday, and for all remaining home games including flex passes, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
NIU enters its final non-conference test of the regular season with a 4-6 record after going 1-1 in the Compass Challenge last week. The Huskies allowed a season-low 48 points in a 61-48 win over Eastern Illinois on December 19 with Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) leading all scorers with 25 points. Woods scored 20 points in the second half to lead a comeback victory. In the championship game on December 20, NIU fell to Southern Illinois 80-61. SIU shot over 49 percent from the field and outscored the Huskies 42-28 in the paint. Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) led NIU with 13 points as Woods added 11 to earn a spot on the Compass Challenge All-Tournament Team.
 
In the win over Eastern Illinois, Woods surpassed Kylie York (2006-10) as NIU's all-time leader in three-pointers made. Woods made five threes against the Panthers to give her 280 for her career. With 281 career three-pointers, Woods is sixth among active NCAA Division I players in three-pointers made. In that same game, the redshirt-senior passed Lisa Starosta (1980-85) for fourth on the all-time NIU scoring chart. She now has 1,845 points in her career which puts her tied for fifth in the nation in career active scoring. Drake's Sara Rhine is fourth in the country with 1,862 career points.
 
Drake (7-4), the preseason favorites in the Missouri Valley Conference, is coming off a 79-67 loss at Iowa on December 21. Rhine led the Bulldogs with 17 points and added six rebounds. She leads Drake with 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Becca Hittner added 16 points, making four three-pointers. Drake averages 80.8 points per game and is shooting 47.9 percent from the field this season.
 
Following Sunday's game, NIU opens Mid-American Conference play at Ohio on January 4 and Miami on January 8.
 
--NIU--