Women's Basketball | January 6

DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team returns to the NIU Convocation Center this Saturday afternoon when it hosts the Toledo Rockets. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. with the game broadcast on ESPN3 and locally on Sports Fan 1330 AM, the NIU Huskies app and the Varsity Network app.
 
For tickets to Saturday's game, as well as the rest of the 2022-23 season, log on to NIUHuskies.com or call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at (815) 753-PACK (7225). General Admission tickets are $6 with reserved seats at $8. Saturday's game starts a stretch of five games out of the next seven at the Convo for the Huskies.
 
NIU (8-4, 0-1 MAC) is coming off a 79-62 loss at Central Michigan Wednesday night in the Mid-American Conference opener. The Huskies held a 22-17 first quarter lead but the Chippewas shot 92 percent from the field in the second to take a 46-32 halftime lead. A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) recorded her seventh double-double of the season with a team-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, going 7-for-10 from the field. It was her 38^th career double-double, moving Davis into fourth place on NIU's career double-doubles chart.
 
Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) scored in double figures for the sixth consecutive game Wednesday night with 15 points. Koker was 5-for-10 from the field with three three-pointers. The senior guard leads NIU in scoring at 15.3 points per game. The duo of Koker and Davis is one of three tandems in the MAC to average a combined 30 points per game, joining Western Michigan's Lauren Ross and Taylor Williams and Ivy Wolf and Madi Cluse of Miami.
 
The Huskies are averaging 76.8 points per game so far this season on the home floor, shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from the three-point line. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, NIU is 27-5 at the Convocation Center when scoring at least 70 points.
 
Toledo (10-2, 1-0), the preseason pick to win the MAC in the preseason coaches' poll, has won seven games in a row after a 71-53 win over Western Michigan Wednesday night. Sophia Wiard led the Rockets with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Senior guard Quinesha Lockett, who leads Toledo in scoring at 14.8 points per game, added 13 points. Toledo leads the MAC in scoring defense, allowing just 57.8 points per game.
 
The Huskies go on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 11 to face Western Michigan at 6 p.m. following Saturday's game.
 
--NIU--