After giving up more than 70 points in its last two games, the NIU women’s basketball team had to find a way to contain one of the toughest offensive teams in the Mid-American Conference on Saturday night.

The Huskies found their answer: Communication.

Making sure each player was on the same page, the Huskies used defensive communication to upend Miami 63-50. Fueled by 12 steals, NIU’s solid defensive effort held Miami 24 points under their season average.

“When we come out talking, we see it works,” forward Jennifer Youngblood said. “We’re communicating, and we do it throughout the whole game. I think talk not only helps the defense, but it gets the intensity up, too.”

The Huskies (7-11 overall, 3-2 MAC) had the intensity up Saturday night and met coach Carol Hammerle’s defensive goals of holding the Redhawks under 30 points each half, allowing 26 in the first period and just 24 after intermission. NIU owns a 5-1 record when holding opponents under 60 points. NIU held Miami (8-8, 2-4) to just 9-of-29 shooting (31-percent) in the second half.

“I can’t say enough for how well we executed defensively,” Hammerle said.

She credited the defense of sophomore guard Kristan Knake and freshman Lindsay Secrest in containing Miami’s star guard Heather Cusick, who entered the contest averaging 13.5 points per game. Cusick netted 12 points but shot just 4-of-13 from the field, as Knake and Secrest frequently hounded her. Knake had a game-high 5 steals, while Secrest had 3. Last year NIU had no answer for the 5-foot-8-inch Cusick, who burned the Huskies for 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting in an 85-69 Miami win.

“At the time, I just think we didn’t have the savvy and athleticism to stay with her,” Hammerle said. “This year I think it’s different. We’ve got some big guards with Kristan [and] Lindsay, and I think it affected her. I think [Cusick] was very tentative, and she became very ineffective when they really needed her.”

The other key would be finding a way to slow down the Redhawks’ leading scorer, freshman sensation Kim Lancaster, who was averaging 15 points per game.

Against the suffocating defense of senior center Mickey Johnson, Youngblood and 6-foot-4-inch Jessica Shattuck, Lancaster managed just 4 shots and 4 points.

“I really thought we did a good job of frustrating her,” Hammerle said.

Davis ‘d’s’ up: While freshman point guard Monique Davis has struggled offensively this season averaging just 1.7 ppg and shooting 17-percent from the field, she has played consistent defense.

“You might not realize what a good job she’s doing,” Hammerle said. “Her vision is so much better. She’s staying down in stance; she’s getting to her player; she’s getting over screens.”

S.W.A.T. Team: The Huskies lead the MAC in blocked shots, averaging 3.7 swats a game. Johnson leads the team with 22 stuffs.

Battling the boys: To help prepare the Huskies for more physical play, the women have been scrimmaging against the NIU men’s baseketball team.