Women’s basketball looks to get its first MAC win against the Western Michigan Broncos at 7 p.m. today at the Convocation Center.

The Broncos (5-12, 1-3 MAC) are coming off a big win against the first-place Akron Zips, but a hungry Huskie team (5-12, 0-4 MAC) expects a better performance after what NIU head coach Kathi Bennett labeled a good week of practice.

“The last few days had good energy and good attitudes,” Bennett said. “The team is doing really well. We worked really hard on transition defense and trying to finish.”

The second half has continued to be a struggle for the Huskies despite good offensive performances from senior forward Satavia Taylor, who had 22 points against Central Michigan Saturday. Sophomore point guard Amanda Corral has continued to shoot well from behind the 3-point line and the Huskies will need their two leading scorers to stay hot in order to come away with a win against the Broncos.

Sophomore forward Natecia Augusta looks to help the Huskie offense in the paint by getting into the game early in the first half.

“The major key is staying spaced out and good communication,” Augusta said. “The game happens inside out and we have to be consistent in first and second half.”

Augusta contributed early in the first half of NIU’s 62-53 loss against Akron two games ago, scoring six points before getting a quick two fouls. NIU’s outside scorers found open shots with the threat of Augusta’s offensive productivity in the paint. The six-foot forward has averaged 6.6 points per game on 62.5 percent shooting from the field and has shot just under 80 percent from the free throw line.

“You’ll see a lot of team work and more assists,” Augusta said of the Huskies. “Our identity is defense, so a lot of stops and poor [Bronco] shooting, from me you’ll see tough defense and rebounding and make my presence felt in the paint.”

Today’s matchup bodes well for the Huskies, who face a Western Michigan team that is 1-8 on the road and averages 61.2 points per game. The Huskies’ strong defense have kept all but one of their opponents under 60 points per game, and has proven to make scoring difficult for even the best offensive teams that they have faced this season.

The Broncos have a balanced offensive attack with their leading scorer, Corie Buchanan, averaging just more than nine points per game. The Broncos also have two players averaging more than eight points per game in senior guard Aurielle Anderson and freshman forward Miracle Woods.

The Huskies have done a better job taking care of the ball in their last two games and will have to capitalize on Western Michigan’s 18.2 turnovers per game to come away with a much-needed win today.