NIU women’s basketball fans might be in for a change this season.

The Huskies displayed an uptempo offense on Friday in a 70-59 exhibition win over the Chicago Challengers at the Convocation Center.

The sight of the Huskies running up and down the court must have come as a shock to the fans in attendance, as coach Carol Hammerle is known to be defensive-minded.

“We were trying to push the ball a little bit more,” Hammerle said. “We had a lot of unforced errors, but once we work on it we should become a little bit more polished.”

With projected starting center Jamie Wilson out for the season after tearing her right ACL during practice on Oct. 23, senior Kim Boeding was forced to move to the frontcourt against the Challengers. Wilson will redshirt this season and come back next year with three years of eligibility remaining.

Boeding responded by scoring 22 points on nine-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds.

“It was nice to have a game like that,” Boeding said. “Hopefully I can build up some confidence.”

Most of Boeding’s baskets were either layups or short jump shots.

“I’ve been telling her for years that she’s a post player,” said junior forward Jennifer Youngblood, who scored 14 points. “We kept on giving her the ball. She did great.”

In her collegiate debut, freshman center Jennifer Uptmor contributed five points, six rebounds and three blocks in 18 minutes.

The 6-foot-3 Uptmor impressed her coach.

“She didn’t play like she was a freshman,” Hammerle said. “She was very cool and calm out there. It was a very physical game and she handled it well. If she continues this, it’s going to be an exciting year.”

Uptmor will be forced to play a large role this season with Wilson as well as 6-foot-3 junior Elizabeth Strobel sidelined for the year.

The Centerville, Ohio, native is ready for the challenge.

“At first when Jamie went down, I was like ‘Uh-oh,’” Uptmor said. “But I believe I can get the job done.”