DEKALB, Ill. – Four players scored in double figures, led by 16 points from Errin Hodges (Pontiac, Ill./Evansville Central), as the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team raced past Benedictine, 87-41, in its lone exhibition game on Friday night (Oct. 29) at the NIU Convocation Center. 

Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) added 14 points while Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) and Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Bellmont) each chipped in 11 points. 

"Exhibition games are great for a lot of reasons," said NIU head coach Lisa Carlsen. "One, you get a chance to play a lot of different kids, two, it is the first chance they have to put a uniform on, play in front of fans, turn the lights on and get rid of those early jitters.

"We would have liked to shoot the ball a little bit better from the perimeter, that is how we are built, but our defensive intensity was good throughout the game. We had a lot of different combinations throughout the game, which was good for us to see, and it will be a great film for us to watch."

NIU shrugged off a slow start, as Benedictine opened with an 11-2 lead, by scoring 17 of the final 19 points to close the first quarter, giving the Huskies a 19-13 lead after the opening 10 minutes. The Huskies used a 10-2 advantage in the paint and a 9-0 edge in points off turnovers to lead by six after the first. 

In the second quarter, the Huskies made six of their first nine shots and continued to stifle the Eagles offense, holding Benedictine to just eight second quarter points. NIU shot 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from the field in the second quarter, including 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from three, as the Huskies took a 44-21 lead into the intermission. 

Hodges led all scorers with 10 points in the opening half, going 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. Alex Fanning led Benedictine with eight in the first half. 

NIU continued to extend its advantage in the third quarter, outscoring Benedictine 28-9 in the quarter to take a 72-30 lead into the final 10 minutes. Koker scored seven points and grabbed five rebounds in the quarter. 

Fanning finished the contest with 12 points to pace the Eagles. NIU outscored Benedictine 23-0 in second chance points, 46-12 in the points and 29-4 off turnovers. 

The Huskies will now turn their focus toward the regular season opener on Tuesday, Nov. 9, when they welcome Illinois State to the NIU Convocation Center. Tipoff against the Redbirds is scheduled for 6 p.m. 

Season tickets for the 2021-22 NIU women's basketball season start at $35 for a General Admission seat. A Reserved season ticket (sections 103, 112 and 113) costs $50. For more ticket information, log on to NIUHuskies.com/MyHuskies or call 815-753-PACK (7225). Courtside seats and other premium options are available through the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923 or by logging on to HuskieAthleticFund.com.