After a 1-3 start to the season, the NIU women’s basketball team is happy to finally be home.

The Huskies have played all their games this season on the road and dropped their last two. They will try to change their luck against Division II South Dakota State at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center.

“It will definitely be nice to be home, because at home, the home crowd really pumps us up,” sophomore center Kristin Wiener said. “It’s a busy time right now with finals, but we’ve had some days off and we’re rested.”

The women’s game will take place five hours after the men’s basketball team’s home game, a conference opener against Akron.

The women had Thursday off because of NCAA rules that require teams take a day off during the week before finals, NIU coach Carol Hammerle said.

South Dakota State boasts a 4-2 record on the season and is 1-2 against Division I schools. The Jacks have beaten Kentucky this season and lost a final-second decision to Oregon State.

The Huskies will have to shoot well against a stingy South Dakota defense that has held its opponents to 37-percent shooting on the season. The Jacks also have outrebounded the opposition 41-33 a game.

“They are a really physically aggressive team on the inside,” Hammerle said. “The games have been physical and Kristin [Wiener] has responded really well.”

Despite the shooting woes, Wiener said NIU’s main focus needs to be on the defensive side of the ball.

Huskies opponents have shot 18-of-38 from beyond the arc in the last two games while the Huskies went just 3-of-17.

“It all starts with defense because our stops convert to offense,” Wiener said. “I just need to continue doing what I’m doing and continue to finish.”