With the outbreak of war Wednesday in the Persian Gulf, athletic competition may seem trivial to some.

With thoughts other than basketball firmly entrenched in several minds, NIU’s women’s basketball team decided to use its Thursday night game against the Wright State Lady Raiders to express its feelings toward the U.S. soldiers.

The Huskies showed their victory colors in their 91-52 victory by wearing a U.S. flag patch on their jersey. The decision to wear the flag was collectively agreed upon by the coaches and players.

Huskie head coach Jane Albright said, “I think really what these flags mean is that it’s pretty much a statement by our team of gratitude that people are on the other side of the world fighting for everything that our country stands for.

“I think it puts a perspective of a game into proportion,” Albright said. “Certainly when you’re in here in the gym you’re trying to be the very best you can be, but somewhere they’re over there being the best soldiers they can be.”

After the game, NIU players expressed their reasons behind displaying the flag so prominently on their jersey.

“A lot of people are doing their own thing is the States, and we just wanted to let everybody know that we have them in mind,” NIU forward Angela Lockett said.

NIU center Tracy Mondek said the patch was “just letting all the American soldiers know we are thinking of them.”

“I think it (patch) shows that what’s going on over there is more important,” NIU guard Julie Gainer said. “It’s on our minds.”

Political statements aside, the game featured NIU guard Lisa Foss reaching the 2,000-point milestone late in the second half.

True to her modest form, Foss said, “I didn’t even know I was scoring 2,000 points.”