After a dismal start to the holiday break, the NIU women’s basketball team has strung together a couple of key victories.

Although the Huskies went 3-4 over the month-long stretch, the two consecutive wins have come against North Star Conference opponents.

Saturday, NIU downed Akron University by a 78-51 tally. But more importantly, the Huskies (9-4) upped their conference ledger to 2-0 and stretched their NSC winning streak to 17 straight over the past two seasons.

Lisa Foss paced the Huskies attack with 20 of her game-high 26 points in the first half by nailing 10 of 14 from the field. Dianna Wingis was the only other Huskie to reach the double figure plateau with a 12-point, eight-rebound performance. Ten players rotated throughout the contest to provide the balance.

“It was a true team effort,” NIU coach Jane Albright said. “I think last year, you’d see five people in double figures, now we’ve got nine to 10 contributing … and everyone contributed.”

Cleveland State fell victim to an NIU team eager to start the 1991 NSC season on the right foot. Last Thursday night, the Huskies knocked off CSU 72-63 behind Denise Dove’s 18-point, nine-assist effort. The senior point guard notched four of five attempts beyond the three-point line and six of eight within. NIU rolled to a 32-24 first-half lead en route to the debut win.

Up until this contest, NIU had lost four of its previous five, yet Albright reminded media and fans after a rare home loss to Vanderbilt (79-65) that the conference games are the most crucial.

“I will remind everybody that there’s two reasons you play,” Albright said. “All of these games were for us to get ready for our conference. And you play the conference to get ready for the ‘Big Dance.'”

In order for NIU to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in March, they have to win the NSC championship, something the Huskies were tabbed to do in the preseason announcements.

Vanderbilt came to Chick Evans Field House with a front line consisting of three players over the 6-feet-2-inch mark. One Lady Commodore checked in at 6 feet 8 inches, while NIU’s biggest player, Wingis, checked in at 6 feet 2 inches.

Albright conceded the size advantage could make a difference, but made no excuses. Neither did the smaller NIU team. The Huskies and Vanderbilt were tied at 57 with eight minutes left in the game, but the Lady Commodores slowly pulled away and severed the Huskies’ 15-game winning string on the home floor.

“Northern Illinois will be in the NCAAs,” Vanderbilt coach Phil Lee said. “She (Albright) will have them back. They are well-respected. They’ve played a difficult schedule thus far and they will do very well in their conference.”

NIU doesn’t face the size differential in the NSC.

“We will be the tallest team in our conference,” Albright added.

In their lone tournament appearance of the break, NIU could only muster up a third-place finish. In the Boilermaker Classic, the Huskies lost a heartbreaker (85-79) to West Virginia in the opening round of the two-day play-off. The Huskies did bounce back to rout Boston College (100-82) in the consolation game, which halted a three-game losing skid.

Michigan State knocked off the Huskies for the first time this season by a 78-69 margin, while Stephen F. Austin manhandled NIU 96-76.

NIU returns to action Thursday when the Huskies welcome NSC newcomer Wright State University to Chick Evans Field House for a 7 p.m. contest.