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Northern Star

Northern Illinois University’s student news organization since 1899

 

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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Hurting Huskies glad to be home

By Wes Swietek | January 17, 1992

NIU students might not recognize the basketball team that takes the court Saturday night against Illinois-Chicago. Yes, that team in white is the Huskies, the NIU Huskies minus several players (absent because of academic ineligibility or because of off-court...

$10,000 for ‘nutritional supplements’ questioned

By Steve Dennis | January 16, 1992

Senior Associate Athletic Director Cary Groth has designed a committee to define the use of $10,000 for an athletic training fund referred to as "nutritional supplements." At the December meeting of the Athletic Board yesterday, all of an NCAA broad-based...

Late rallies are becoming standard fare for Huskies

By David Lance | January 16, 1992

When losing in the second half, count on the Huskies making a late run. The result isn't always victorious, but a Huskie comeback is often times a frantic one. NIU's women's basketball team was up to its old tricks Wednesday night at Chick Evans Field...

Cheerleaders place in top ten at Nationals

By John Dietz | January 15, 1992

In its debut appearance in all three events at the National Collegiate Cheerleading and Dance Team Championships at Dallas, Texas, the NIU cheerleading squad finished in the top ten in each event. Sixty-four teams from the three divisions were invited...

Former Huskies on All-Decade ballot

By Wes Swietek | January 15, 1992

Donald Whiteside and Donnell Thomas have ended their stellar NIU basketball careers, but that doesn't mean they've stopped making news. Thomas and Whiteside are on the All-Decade performer ballot for the Mid-Continent Conference. In conjunction with the...

SIU may keep NIU’s bench warm

By David Lance | January 15, 1992

With a win well secured, NIU head coach Jane Albright-Dieterle used most of the second half of Monday's 101-67 pummelling of North Star Conference opponent Akron as play time for the second and third stringers. With a couple of minutes left in the game,...

O’Dell’s plans for future hinge on new standards

By Wes Swietek | January 14, 1992

As NCAA reforms slowly change the face of collegiate athletics, NIU Athletic Director Gerald O'Dell recently discussed the state of NIU athletics and some of its most pressing issues. One of the perennial issues facing NIU is conference affiliation for...

Bennett repeats history

By Wes Swietek | January 14, 1992

History has a tendency to repeat itself when it comes to NIU basketball and Wisconsin-Green Bay's Tony Bennett. The 6-0 senior guard has made a habit of beating the Huskies. Last night was no different. Although he tallied only 14 points, it was more...

New academic reforms favor NIU

By Wes Swietek | January 14, 1992

NIU Athletic Director Gerald O'Dell calls it "one for the good guys." What he is referring to is the new tougher academic standards passed at last week's NCAA convention in Anaheim, Calif. With collegiate presidents (including NIU's John La Tourette)...

Women zap Zips, while men fall

By David Lance | January 14, 1992

Early in Monday night's game with NIU, Akron's women's basketball team played much unlike the 2-13 team that it is. Shooting lights out, Akron maintained an eight-point lead with 13 minutes left in the first half. Then, Akron wilted and the Huskies took...

Home remains the only sweet spot for Huskies

By Todd McMahon | January 13, 1992

For the NIU women's basketball team, home was where the wins were for the last four weeks. The Huskies (5-5, 1-0) ended a three-game losing streak Saturday with a 94-85 come-from-behind victory over Cleveland State at the friendly confines of Chick Evans...

NIU feeling the heat heading into UW-GB

By Wes Swietek | January 13, 1992

It's a clear case of going from the frying pan into the fire.

The NIU men's basketball team hasn't exactly sizzled with a 4-8 season record going into the snake pit that is Wisconsin- Green Bay's home gym tonight.

The Huskies do stand at 2-1 in Mid-Continent Conference action as they take on the arch-rival Phoenix at 7:30.

NIU head coach Brian Hammel knew, though, that this wouldn't be the easiest of seasons as the Huskies returned only two seniors.

"I try not to get consumed by the wins and losses," Hammel said. "I knew it would be a building process. We're trying to keep our focus on improving one game at a time and getting the program headed in the right direction."

Since the semester break, NIU lost at DePaul (90-77) and at Idaho State (97-92), had a three-game home stand with a win against Chicago State (106-100), a loss to Xavier (84-74) and a win over Valparaiso (77-66).

The Huskies then hit the road for three straight, losing to Akron (82-69), beating Cleveland State (82-77) and losing (83-65) at Southern Illinois.

"Right now, we're playing average. Some nights we're an A-plus and sometimes a D-minus," Hammel said. "We need to do two things: cut down on our turnovers ... and we need to do a better job on our opponents' shooting percentage."

And the 11-1 Phoenix (2-0 in Mid-Continent action) should

rovide NIU with one of its stiffest challenges of the year.

"I think De Paul was good and Southern was real good ... (Green Bay) is very, very good," Hammel said.

The Phoenix handed NIU three of its six losses last season and are led by Huskie-killer Tony Bennett.

"Bennett is a tremendous player—he has the total package," Hammel said. "We'll have to know where he is on the court at all times.

"They're an experienced ball club, with some good underclassmen ... they deserve to be a Top-25 team."