After beginning the MAC season 0-2, NIU women’s basketball coach Carol Hammerle has seen her Huskies win four of their last five games, and now could move into a second-place tie on Saturday at Toledo.

The Huskies (9-9 overall, 4-3 MAC) need only a win at Toledo (9-9, 5-2), last season’s MAC West co-champion, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

“This is a big game for us,” NIU point guard Monique Davis said. “It’s always a battle when we go to Toledo.”

Toledo and NIU rank third and fourth, respectively, in scoring defense, but the Rockets scored 90 points on Tuesday night, beating Ball State. The Rockets’ output on Tuesday has Hammerle worried about the approach they will take against NIU.

“From what I’ve seen, I think they’re really struggling to put the ball in the hole,” Hammerle said. “They’ve been very deliberate in their offense, but against Ball State, they got to the free-throw line 37 times.”

Toledo started the season 3-0 in the MAC, before losing two straight. After wins over Ohio and Ball State, the Rockets now enjoy another two-game winning streak.

Toledo’s main weapon, Hammerle said, is Kelly Walker, who leads the MAC in three-pointers made with 46. However, Walker is only 15th in the league in three-point percentage at 35.9 percent.

The Huskies’ lineup remains undecided, as it has been recently, but Hammerle said that based on Toledo’s personnel, Stephanie Raymond and Monique Davis should start at guard, while Jennifer Youngblood and Rachel Sillar should start at forward.

Last season, Toledo finished 12-4 and tied for first in the MAC, but the Huskies beat them 69-57 in DeKalb in their only meeting last season. NIU overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to pull out the win last season.

“We’re feeling good right now,” Davis said. “We’re playing well at the right time and making that push into the MAC tournament.”