VALPARAISO—NIU’s women’s basketball team stuck with the game plan Monday night and consequently ran the Crusaders out of their own gym by a 95-82 tally.

That game plan was simple: run, run, run.

The Huskies came into the game averaging just over 81 points per game, while Valparaiso topped the North Star Conference with its 95-point average.

Yet on this cold night in Indiana, it was the Huskies (11-4, 4-0) that utilized the run-and-gun style best. The opening minutes predicted just how fast this one would go. Both teams rebounded and shot the ball to the outlet as if time was running short.

“We have a lot of speed on our team,” NIU coach Jane Albright said. “So an up-tempo game was to our advantage. We just fought fire with fire.”

It was NIU’s Lisa Foss who the Crusaders failed to extinguish in the first half. The senior All-American candidate netted 20 of her game-high 32 points in the opening period as the Huskies raced to a 48-34 halftime advantage.

Valpo provided some fireworks of its own at the start of the second half for the 133 people in attendance. Cold NIU shooting coupled with an aggressive Crusader full-court press led Valparaiso to a 12-2 run.

Freshman Angela Lockett ended the slump with her physical style in the paint. Lockett, who muscled 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, hit two key free throws, which sparked the Huskies.

Once again, Valparaiso battled back to come within five points (58-53) with a little over 14 minutes remaining.

“Even when they came back,” Albright insisted, “we didn’t slow the tempo of the game down.”

NIU closed the book after that as it gradually extended its lead over the NSC foes. Tracy Mondek keyed the Huskies down the stretch with some crucial caroms on the defensive side. The junior scored 14 points and ripped down 11 boards.

Cindy Conner joined the other three Huskies to topple the double-digit plateau with 11 points of her own. Dianna Wingis, who has been bothered with a foot injury, came off the bench to grab seven rebounds and add six points. Toby Meeks and Dee Dee Jeske managed the same offensive output.