DeKALB | The NIU women’s basketball team looks to complete two season firsts when they play Cincinnati on Friday in the Mildred and Roger L. White Tournament in Evanston.

The Huskies are looking for their first tournament win and also their first consecutive wins of the season.

The Huskies (3-2) have their hands full slowing down a hot Bearcat team that is 5-0 this season.

“When any team is undefeated, they have a lot of confidence and are a tough team to play,” NIU head coach Carol Owens said. “We’ve played some pretty difficult games so far, so hopefully we’ll see some results from that.”

Cincinnati’s strength lies in its spread offense, which makes it difficult for teams to key in on a single player. They have nine players averaging between seven and 14 points per game. Shelly Bellman leads the way, averaging more than 13 points while grabbing a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game.

With such a rounded team, the Huskies will see many different lineups from the Bearcats,

“They can definitely score,” Owens said. “They’re a good three-point shooting team also, so transition defense is going to be very important. This game will be a challenge for us.”

NIU also has momentum coming off a blowout win over Chicago State. Kristin Wiener led the team with 13 points and 11 rebounds, making it her second double-double of the

season.