DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team made 15 three-pointers and shot 45.6 percent from the field on Saturday in an 88-61 win over the Loras DuHawks at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
"It feels great to step back on the floor in uniform and get to play somebody else," said head coach Lisa Carlsen following Saturday's exhibition victory. "Throughout the course of the 40 minutes we got a lot of good possessions. For the most part I was happy with was I saw. We came out of the locker room ready to go and that was a point of emphasis for us to get off on the right foot."
 
Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) led four Huskies in double-figure scoring with a game-high 17 points. The graduate guard was 4-for-6 from the three-point line and added a pair of assists. Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) had 13 points, seven assists and five steals.
 
"I really focused on my perimeter shooting this offseason, being confident in being a scorer and also creating for my team as well," said Marable after going 5-for-8 from the field and 3-for-5 from long range.
 
Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) also had seven assists with her 10 points. A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) added 12 points and a game-high seven assists.
 
NIU got off to a fast start, taking an 11-0 lead in the first three minutes with Poisson and Emma Carter (Bristol, Vt./Franklin Pierce) making three triples. The Huskies led 14-6 when a pair of Emily Meinert (Galesburg, Ill./Parkland College) free throws started a 14-3 NIU run, highlighted by seven points from Tara Stauffacher (Columbus, Wis./Wisconsin), to take a 28-9 lead at the 2:53 mark of the first quarter. NIU was 8-for-11 from the three-point line in the first quarter and led the DuHawks 36-18.
 
The Huskies' shined on defense in the second quarter, holding Loras to five points on 2-for-13 shooting from the field. NIU took a 53-23 lead into the locker room, shooting over 50 percent from the field. In the third quarter NIU took its largest lead of the day when a Davis layup capped a 12-0 Huskies run that put the home team up 36, 73-37, with 4:47 left in the period. Marable and Davis combined for nine of the 12 points in that stretch with Poisson adding a three.
 
NIU assisted on 22 of its 31 made baskets on Saturday. The Huskies outrebounded Loras 46-31 in the game, scoring 11 points off 14 offensive rebounds.  Thirteen of the 15 NIU players that entered the game had a rebound and 12 of the 15 scored.
 
"When you have that many options, you have a lot of opportunities against different teams to make favorable matchups," Carlsen said when asked about the Huskies' depth. "I think we have a lot of options, especially with who we play in the post. I think our depth at all positions right now is in a good spot as we continue to get better for the start of the regular season."
 
The Huskies open the regular season on Monday, Nov. 7 at #9/10 Notre Dame. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. NIU will host DePaul in its home opener on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m.
 
Single-game and season tickets are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com. Season ticket pricing begins at just $35 for general admission seating and $50 for reserved seats. NIU faculty and staff, members of the NIU Alumni Association or Varsity Club and senior citizens can purchase women's basketball season tickets for $40.

Premium courtside seats are available for this season for both men's and women's basketball, putting fans close to the action for an unmatched game experience. Courtside seats to women's basketball are $200 each which includes the cost of a season ticket plus a $150 per seat license.  For more information on season tickets and courtside seats, call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
--NIU--