DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team wraps up a brief two-game homestand Wednesday night when the Kent State Golden Flashes come to the NIU Convocation Center for a 6 p.m. tip-off.
 
Tickets for Wednesday night's game, as well as all remaining home games including flex passes, are available now online at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
NIU (4-10, 0-3 MAC) was within three points of Toledo at halftime Saturday at the Convocation Center, but the Huskies were 2-for-11 from the field in the third quarter and shot just 25 percent in the second half in a 63-51 loss to the Rockets. Freshman Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) led NIU with 11 points and three assists, going 3-for-5 from the three-point line.
 
Since being inserted into the starting lineup on December 5, Hunter has averaged 10.2 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field. In her first career start Hunter led NIU with 19 points at Milwaukee, going 8-for-12 from the field. She is shooting 46.4 percent from the three-point line over the last six games.
 
The Huskies enter Wednesday's game third in the Mid-American Conference in rebounding with 40.8 boards per game. NIU is among the top 15 teams in the nation in defensive rebounds at 30.5 per game. Eight different Huskies have led NIU in rebounding this season after freshman Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) had a team-high five rebounds against Toledo.
 
Kent State (8-6, 1-2) earned its first MAC win of the season on Saturday with a 75-63 win over Western Michigan. Freshman Katie Shumate led the Golden Flashes with 20 points. Kent State has five players averaging over 10 points per game, led by Nila Blackford's 13.6 points per game. The Golden Flashes are third in the MAC in scoring offense at 71.6 points per game. Kent State won last season's meeting at the M.A.C. Center 87-78, but NIU has won the last five meetings in DeKalb.
 
NIU goes on the road this weekend to take on Akron on Saturday, January 18 at 3:30 p.m. CT.
 
--NIU--