Basketball players often say that when their shot is falling, the basket looks bigger.

Well if the opposite holds true as well, the NIU women’s basketball team was trying to shoot a basketball into something the size of a keyhole Sunday night as they lost to Illinois-Chicago 50-42 on the road.

The Huskies shot just 23 percent for the game, including going just 2-12 from beyond the arc and 10-20 from the foul line.

“We came out flat and missed a lot of shots,” NIU head coach Carol Owens said. “We were missing layups and other easy shots that we should be making.”

The game remained close because of UIC’s inability to find the basket as well.

They shot just 28 percent for the game.

Junior Shari’ Welton led NIU with 14 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore Kylie York was good for 10.

Both Welton and York will likely become more active on the offensive end with junior Jessie Wilcox injured.

The junior guard, Wilcox, suffered a hand injury last week and will likely miss a few weeks while recovering.

“She’s one of the leaders on the team and she knows how to score and create,” Owens said. “People like Charmaine Bell and Kylie are going to have to take on a bigger role and I’m confident that in time they will get there.”

Mexico trip

Wilcox’s injury came on the teams trip to Cancun where they played Michigan State and Tulane.

The Huskies dropped both games, losing 67-40 to the Spartans and 70-57 to Tulane.

“We played some tough opponents,” Owens said. “We need to learn to play at that kind of level and with that kind of intensity. To do that you need to play teams like that and I thought we played them tough.”

York led NIU in scoring in both games, going for 14 against MSU and 18 against Tulane, including shooting 7-11 from the floor.