There haven’t been many pleasant surprises for the NIU women’s basketball team this season.

Depth up front has been thin for NIU. Someone needed to step in and help take pressure off preseason All-MAC forward/center Jennifer Youngblood. Who knew that relief could come from freshman Joi Scott?

“I think a lot of things this season came unexpected,” Youngblood said. “I always knew that there would be someone there [inside with me], but it was a surprise because usually freshmen don’t do things like that.”

Scott made a marginal impact through the first 11 games of the regular season, averaging 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10 minutes a game.

Then the MAC schedule began.

Eight games since, Scott has averaged 13 points and 5.9 rebounds in 26 minutes a game. Over that stretch, Scott has led the team in scoring four of eight games and in rebounding for three.

Since Scott joined the starting lineup to replace Kim Boeding (vertigo), the team is 4-1.

“I didn’t expect to make the kind of impact that I have over the last few weeks,” Scott said. “I just came in and expected to fill a role, being a freshman.”

As the MAC schedule moves on, Scott only seems to be getting stronger. The Huskies’ last game versus Bowling Green, she poured in career-highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds.

The previous game, all she did was knock down the game-tying and winning free throws with 8.1 seconds left to play.

“I wasn’t nervous at all leaving her in at the end of the game,” Hammerle said. “First of all, she was one of the reasons we were still in the game … At the line, she was as cool as a cucumber out there, something you usually don’t expect from a freshman.”

Scott’s impact has changed the way teams now play the Huskies and opened up the offense for the Huskies’ outside.

“She really helps take the pressure off everyone in our offense,” Hammerle said. “It helps having Joi who is such an athletic forward … Now instead of double-teaming with other forwards, teams have to double down with their guards.”

While Scott has been on fire away from home in MAC play, she’s struggled playing at the Convocation Center. On the road she’s putting up 16.6 points a game and 7.2 rebounds, compared to seven points, 3.8 rebounds in DeKalb.

“Ever since high school, I’ve always felt comfortable playing away,” Scott said. “There is nobody out there watching that I know.”

Still a freshman, Scott understands she has a lot to learn and hopes to bring even more to the table, especially at home. She’ll have an opportunity to do so today with a rematch against Ball State and the inside tandem of Tamara Bowie and Jessica Reiter.