Mary Basic described her trip to Italy with her NIU women’s basketball teammates as anything but boring.

More like exhausting.

“When I came home, all I did was sleep,” the 5-foot-10 sophomore said.

Sleep was one of the few things the Huskies didn’t do much of during their 11-day, five-game trip to Europe.

Basic was one of the standout Huskies, averaging 8.4 points per game, second only to Joi Scott.

“[Basic] probably played her best basketball to date,” NIU coach Carol Hammerle said. “I thought she was very relaxed out there.”

The team’s day usually started around 8 or 9 a.m. and could end as late as 1 or 2 a.m., depending on how late games lasted, Basic said.

Not only did NIU players have to adjust to an Italian time zone that is seven hours ahead of Central Standard Time in the United States, but also they had to adjust to a different style of basketball.

“All those teams loved to run,” Basic said. “We had to be more alert, and it wore me out – getting up early, touring all of Italy and then playing at night.”

The teams NIU faced used a quickly paced shooting game, forcing players to test their endurance.

“The game was a lot faster than what we’re used to,” assistant coach Rhonda Dart said. “We did a good job of adjusting to their game.”

NIU won four of its five games against professional Italian teams. The tournament was a chance for the Huskies to test new strategies for the fall season, Hammerle said.

“I think our up-tempo play is dictated by our personnel’s strengths,” said the sixth-year NIU coach. “Rachel Sillar, Mary Basic and Stephanie Raymond give us three tremendously quick players who enjoy playing in the open floor.”

Raymond was named to the Freshman All-MAC team after the 2003-’04 season, averaging 8.9 points per game.

Sillar and Basic averaged a combined 4.4 points during the season, but combined for 12.9 during the tournament.

“Three of the four seniors were guards, and with them gone, [Basic] has a great opportunity,” Dart said. “She’ll be a big part of this team next year.”