The NIU men’s basketball team capturing the MAC West title is a great thing for the program and the school.

But the title has also cast a shadow over its counterpart: the women’s basketball team.

A 12-16 overall record and 7-9 MAC record are not all that impressive when talking about wins and losses, but it is impressive when talking about what first-year head coach Carol Owens has managed to do with the team.

The former NIU star has managed to get five more overall wins and three more conference wins than the 2004-05 campaign.

The Huskies also flirted with a .500 record in the MAC during the season, falling one game short. NIU hasn’t gone .500 in the MAC since the 2002-03 season.

And she has done this with nearly the same team as last year; the team that went 7-21 overall.

No starters were lost from last year’s team and the top five statistics leaders in points per game, rebounds and minutes all returned.

Despite having no players Owens recruited on the team, she managed to do the most with the team she has.

The returning players are buying into Owen’s system that stresses defense and rebounding. The Huskies are currently sixth in defense in the MAC and second in rebounding.

And now that Owens is recruiting, who better of a recruiter than the face of NIU women’s basketball herself?

With Saturday’s win over Miami, the Huskies are in the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2001-02 season.

While four more overall wins, three more in conference, and a trip to the quarterfinals might not seem like much, it’s not hard to tell Owens has the team heading in the right direction.

Owens has the background to establish a strong program. She assistant-coached at women’s basketball powerhouse Notre Dame, where she won a national championship and coached in two final-fours.

In a season that has seen men’s basketball head coach Rob Judson under fire despite a winning season, it’s a safe bet to say we won’t be seeing a www.firecarolowens.com any time soon.