The NIU women’s basketball team has been missing their starting point guard the past couple of weeks, but her return seems to be sometime in the near future.

Junior Jessie Wilcox is recovering from a broken right hand she suffered on the Thanksgiving Cancun trip. X-rays were taken Monday and a decision of whether or not she will be back for this weekend’s action will be made today.

Suffering an injury is a good way to lower a player’s morale, but Wilcox

remains optimistic about her situation.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to practice my left hand,” Wilcox said. “I’m very right hand-dominant. It’s a good opportunity and you just have to seize the moment. Everything happens for a reason.”

Polar opposites

The Huskies are hoping this season is a flip of how they opened up the 2006 campaign. At this point last year, NIU was 5-2, but this year they stand at 2-5.

“Last year we started with a bang, we only had three losses at Christmastime, but then at the end is when we struggled,” Wilcox said. “We were 8-8 in conference and that’s not where you want to be. The year is when you’re supposed to excel. Hopefully it’s a reverse and we can get these losses out of our system now, learn from them, and make the best of them.”

NIU has not played a game since Nov. 28 and has been using the time off to fine-tune their play.

“This is our week to get better,” said junior guard Shari’ Welton. “We’ve had a couple of injuries but we’ve healed up and we’ve been working hard and are ready to go to Iowa and take care of business.”