DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team opens a stretch of four of its next five games at home Saturday when it hosts the Buffalo Bulls Saturday at 1 p.m. at the NIU Convocation Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
 
NIU (10-6, 8-3 MAC) extended the longest winning streak in the Mid-American Conference last Monday with a 78-74 win at Ball State. Sophomore guard Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) scored a career-high 34 points, making six of 10 three-point attempts. She also tied a career-high with six steals while adding a team-high four assists. Errin Hodges (Pontiac, Ill./Evansville Central [Ind.]) had 10 points and Mikayla Brandon (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) had nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds, making a key three-pointer with 0:46 left in regulation that put the Huskies up 72-70.
 
The Huskies are averaging 74.8 points per game during their current winning streak, shooting over 46 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three-point arc. NIU has a rebound margin of plus-13.5 during this current stretch, outrebounding three of its opponents by at least 10 boards. The Huskies have won eight of their last nine games and have scored at least 75 points in six of those games.
 
Saturday's game features the top-two rebounding teams in the MAC. NIU leads the conference in rebound margin at plus-7.81 and is second in rebounding with 43.13 rebounds per game. Buffalo is second in rebound margin at plus-6.75 and leads with 45.06 rebounds per game. The Huskies have outrebounded their opponent in every conference game this season with a double-digit margin eight times.
 
Buffalo (11-5, 8-3 MAC) won its second straight game Wednesday night with an 82-73 win at Toledo. Dyaisha Fair led all scorers with 29 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists. Elea Gaba added 17 points and nine rebounds. Fair leads the MAC in assists with 5.3 assists per game and is second in scoring at 24.7 points per game.  NIU leads the all-time series against the Bulls 17-9 and have won four of the last five games.
 
Following Saturday's game, NIU goes on the road to face Ohio on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m.
 
--NIU--