Once again, balance equaled victory for the NIU women’s basketball team Thursday night.

Four players hit double figures in scoring and the Huskies’ rebounding was split evenly as NIU rolled to a 84-55 victory over the University of Illinois-Chicago before 1,348 at Chick Evans Field House.

The Huskies improved their overall record to 14-10 and 8-3 in the North Star Conference. UIC fell to 6-19 on the season and 2-9 in the conference.

Cindy Conner led NIU with 16 points and added seven rebounds. E.C. Hill, Angela Lockett and Dianna Wingis each scored 12, and Lockett and Wingis shared team-high rebounding honors, with nine apiece.

Lockett had six offensive rebounds, while Wingis and Leslie Pottinger added five each as NIU controlled the boards 56-42—28 coming on each end of the court.

After a slow start, the Huskies finally got on track against the youthful Flames. After Lockett scored the first basket 18 seconds into the game, the Huskies went nearly seven minutes before hitting another field goal.

UIC held its only lead of the night at 13-12 with 10:20 remaining in the first half. The Huskies then went on a 18-1 run in the next 6:10 to put the game away.

NIU had nine steals and forced 17 UIC turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and led 37-19 at intermission. The Huskies finished with 19 steals for the game, while UIC turned the ball over 30

times.

“I was real disappointed with the way we came out,” NIU head coach Jane Albright-Dieterle said. “We’re fine tuning for the biggest part of our season. We need to come out a little stronger.

“In the second half, we were a much better team and much sharper.”

Albright-Dieterle also praised the play of Pottinger, who started the second half. “Leslie Pottinger did a real nice job tonight,” the coach said. “She did a lot of unsung things. She gives us a lift, she has all year.”

The Huskies hit the nonconference ranks next with a trip to Tallahassee, Fla., for a 6 p.m. meeting with Florida State Saturday.