It took a re-jump to get the season started, but the NIU Huskie women have officially begun their 2010-11 campaign. Though Ebony Ellis won the tip off, the Huskies would lose to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Wednesday night in their only exhibition game, 69-63.

The Division II Rangers came into their third road exhibition game, after losing to Division I opponents Purdue (88-48) and Marquette (76-43).

“My philosophy as a coach, especially in the preseason is to get out and play against some of the best teams,” UW-Parkside head coach Jenny Kenesie. “We did that. Three Division I schools who have a lot of history in their women’s basketball programs.”

Senior guard Marke Freeman got her own and the team’s first layup points to kick start the season, but they were not her last of the night. NIU head coach Kathi Bennett said Freeman was one of the shining players going 7-10 from the field, a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line and garnering the team’s only two buckets from behind the arc. She would end the night with 22 points and eight rebounds before fouling out late in the second half.

It took the Rangers just over three minutes to score their first points, off a jumper by forward Brittany Beyer. Both teams took time to get the rhythm of the offensive working, but the Huskies defense came out fighting from tip-off.

“For the first 10 minutes we were really good defensively,” Bennett said. We affected them. In practice we’ve had a great first hour of practice, in the second hour we really struggle. I think that’s evident in our game. Our challenge will be we learned how hard you have to play, now we know how hard we have to practice for two hours. It’s a valuable lesson.”

Once the Rangers got their offense going, it became difficult for the Huskies to stop them, particularly from downtown. The Rangers would go 6-10 from behind the three-point line, with guard Jadee Rooney accounting for half of them, going 3-3 on the night and leading her team with 23 points.

“We got caught resting off the ball,” Bennett said. “We didn’t rotate, we didn’t see the ball, didn’t see the skip. We just really got caught standing out of a stance off the ball.”

Even with the loss and mental errors, Bennett and Freeman said playing particularly well on the evening was redshirt sophomore Kim Davis. Davis led the team with 10 rebounds and grabbed 12 points.

“Kim is one of those players I’m just happy she’s on my team,” Freeman said. “She’s going to be aggressive, give 110 percent, and leave everything on the floor. She’s always got your back, always communicating. And if nothing else, she will be there defensively for you. She let that be known.”