NIU (5-12, 1-3) vs. Toledo (9-7, 2-2)

7 p.m. at the Convocation Center

Coach’s Take

NIU

NIU head coach Carol Owens sees the importance of defense.

“Our defense is going to win games for us,” Owens said. “I think our team feels comfortable at home, but [Toledo] shoots and rebounds very well and that will be the key to the game.”

Toledo

Coming off a big win against Ball State, Toledo head coach Mark Ehlen made sure his team wouldn’t overlook NIU.

“Northern Illinois is a very capable team on offense,” Ehlen said. “[Kylie] York and [Jessie] Wilcox are good offensive players.”

Key Player

NIU

After missing four games over winter break with a hand injury, junior guard Jessie Wilcox has stepped up big as an offensive force recently for the Huskies.

“Jessie can score and shoot the three,” Owens said. “Her ability to step outside and shoot three’s is a tough matchup for opponents.”

Recently, Wilcox scored 12 points in a loss to Western Michigan and 13 points in a victory over Central Michigan.

Toledo

Toledo sophomore forward Allie Clifton leads the Rockets in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. However, Clifton will be inactive for the game with a foot injury. Despite this, Ehlen remains confident in his team.

“We’ve played well even though we’ve been a little short-handed,” Ehlen said. “We’re still without Clifton, but we are capable of winning games.”

Last Game

NIU

NIU lost on the road against MAC opponent Western Michigan 75-51 Saturday. The Huskies struggled shooting in the second half, posting only a 27 percent field goal percentage.

“We definitely hit a cold streak and couldn’t hit our shots,” Owens said. “We have to rely on our defense and be more aggressive on the defensive end.”

Forward Whitney Lowe led the Huskies with 14 points in the game, with Wilcox adding 12 points in the loss.

“We’re a young team, and when we get down we tend to get down on ourselves,” Wilcox said. “We need to learn to be strong and fight through, especially on the road.”

Toledo

Toledo pulled a big upset over the MAC West leader, Ball State, 72-66 on Saturday. Despite not having leading scorer Clifton for the game, the Rockets played well offensively, with four players finishing the game in double-digits.

Senior forward Tamesha Scotton led the way for Toledo with 17 points and sophomore forward Lisa Johnson tied a career-high with 14 points in the contest.

Vital Stat

NIU

NIU ranks second in the MAC in rebounding margin at +3.4 boards per game. The Huskies’ play in the paint will be a large factor against Toledo.

“[After the WMU game] we went back to the basics on rebounding, which has made us one of the top rebounding teams in the MAC,” Owens said.

Toledo

Toledo ranks second in the MAC in field goal defense, holding opponents to 39 percent shooting from the field.

The Rockets’ tough defense will pose an interesting matchup against an NIU team that struggled shooting during its last game.