When the NIU women’s basketball team trots onto the Chick Evans Field House court for pre-game warmups, the Huskie Band simultaneously cranks out Francis Stroup’s Huskie Fight Song.

At the level the Huskies are playing at nowadays, maybe a more appropriate tune to play would be “Sweet Georgia Brown.”

Even the fabled Globetrotters would have been impressed by the Huskies’ 98-65 dismantling of the lowly Cleveland State Vikings Thursday night at the fieldhouse.

The Huskies have beaten their last two opponents by the combined score of 210-129. NIU’s Thursday night victory left CSU head coach Alice Khol searching for answers and quips.

“You have to look for the bright things,” Khol said. “I’m not saying I’m tickled to death that we only lost by whatever … 33? Give me a calculator. But we didn’t quit, and I’m proud of that.

“You lose a game by 30 points and a coach is supposed to be kicking a chair and then come in here (press conference) looking old and haggard, (but) I look terrific right now.”

There were no jokes at NIU head coach Jane Albright’s press conference; only warnings.

“I think (the team’s) a little ticked-off at the world because nobody really thinks we’re any good anymore,” Albright said.

“We think we’re better now than when we were in the polls,” she said. “We’re going to just shut up, be quiet and keep playing … my kids think they can shoot.”

The Huskies next opponent will be North Star Conference foe Akron, Saturday at the fieldhouse (2 p.m.).