Huskie basketball left American soil for the first time during the NIU women’s 11-day trip to Europe for a five-game tournament. P “Between playing ball and sight-seeing, it was quite an experience,” NIU coach Carol Hammerle said. “I can’t think of one aspect of the trip that wasn’t a positive. The whole experience was unique. It was a special opportunity that will benefit this team immensely down the road.”

The Huskies finished 4-1 against professional Italian teams from May 16 to 26 while experimenting with a new offensive structure and enjoying such historical sights as the waterways of Venice, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Coliseum in Rome.

The trip was financed through donations from local boosters such as the Hoop Troop and the annual Northern Illinois “Fore Hoops” women’s basketball summer golf outing.

NIU began its Italian tour with a 59-57 loss to Umana Reyer Venezia, but won its final four games. Hammerle described the first two teams that NIU played as “tier one,” which could be compared to NCAA Division I basketball in the United States. The remaining teams were “tier two” teams, which would be comparable to a Division II school.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” assistant coach Rhonda Dart said. “With us losing four seniors, there’s a lot to replace, and it gave us the opportunity to see who will be the scorers next season.”

With underclassmen taking up most of the playing time, Joi Scott led the Huskies in scoring, averaging nine points per game. Mary Basic and Stephanie Raymond were close behind, averaging 8.4 and 8.3 points, respectively.

While the team enjoyed the climate and sights of the Mediterranean, they had to adjust to a different style of play and rules.

The team anticipated playing with a 30-second shot clock and a jump-ball rule instead of alternating possessions. The Huskies ended up playing with a more familiar style for the jump ball, using it only to start the first and second half.

“The irony of it is that we had one set of rules that we practiced, but they had made rule changes about two years ago,” Hammerle said. “In the mix there was a 24-second shot clock and an eight-second back court, so the game was a whole lot faster.”

Hammerle thought the up-tempo play suited the personal strengths of Basic, Raymond and Rachel Sillar.

Coming off of a 12-16 season, Hammerle hoped the extra competition would benefit her team at the beginning of the season in November.

“All of us had greater expectations for last season, but to have an opportunity to try some things is definitely exciting,” she said. “It gives us something to look forward to in the fall.”

Hammerle hopes the effects of the trip won’t be limited for this team only. The team sent postcards from tourist spots in Italy to recruits and prospective players.