DeKALB | Check your excuses at the door. Ricardo Patton was introduced as the 26th men's basketball coach in the history of NIU Monday at the Convocation Center, and made a bold pronouncement for all in attendance. "We have no excuses," Patton said. "We...

CLEVELAND | Call the hotel and extend the reservations; the NIU women's basketball team will be staying in Cleveland. A 72-68 victory over Kent State in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals has sent NIU to its first semifinal game since the 2001-2002 season....

CLEVELAND | Before the MAC tournament began, NIU women's basketball coach Carol Owens included Kent State as a sleeper pick to go far in the tournament. Owens' premonition means the Huskies, No. 3 seed in the MAC West, will need to be wide awake when...

DeKALB | The last time NIU sophomore Becky Smith played in a MAC Tournament game, she grabbed a career-high five rebounds in a season-ending loss to Bowling Green. Sunday afternoon, she was back at it as the NIU women's basketball team took on Akron in...

DeKALB | "Got SKMM?" The first 200 fans entering the Convocation Center Wednesday night received a free T-shirt with a cryptic message. No, "SKMM" wasn't a typo for "SKIM." The awkward arrangement of letters represented the first initials of the four...

DeKALB | The NIU women's basketball team needs help to receive a bye in the MAC tournament. One thing is for certain, however. The Huskies (17-10 overall, 8-7 MAC) must defeat Ball State (21-5, 12-3) Wednesday to have a chance at finishing second in the...

DeKALB | Maybe it's the lack of home-cooked meals. Perhaps it's a case of homesickness, or not sleeping in their own beds. Whatever the reason may be, the NIU women's basketball team has been struggling on the road all season, and continued to do so Sunday...

DeKALB | With the just two games remaining in the season and seeding for the MAC tournament still wide open, the NIU women's basketball team heads to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan Sunday at 11 a.m. The Huskies (17-9 overall, 8-6 MAC) currently stand...

DeKALB | Though statistics show the NIU women's basketball team is a constant threat from the 3-point line, no one could have expected the Huskies to do what they did in the first half Wednesday against Toledo. During a five-minute stretch, NIU set fire...

DeKALB | To make a run for the MAC West championship, the NIU women's basketball team is going to need a little help. Now, if only it could help itself. The Huskies got some help when Western Michigan defeated MAC West-leading Ball State. Unfortunately,...

DeKALB | Forget the flowers, chocolate and heart-shaped candy, the NIU women's basketball team will be more than happy taking rebounds, free throws and ultimately the win as its Valentine's Day present. The Huskies (16-8 overall, 7-5 MAC) did the little...

DeKALB | The last time the NIU women's basketball team and Eastern Michigan squared off, the Eagles handed NIU its first MAC loss in convincing fashion. There will be no love lost between the two teams when they meet again tonight at 7 p.m. in the Convocation...