Women’s Basketball | August 31
DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women’s basketball team released its 2021-22 schedule on Tuesday morning. The Huskies will face five teams that reached the postseason last season as well as face DePaul for the first time since 2012.
“I believe our non-conference schedule is as challenging as any since I’ve been here,” said head coach Lisa Carlsen. “We’re excited to welcome three teams to the Convocation Center that played postseason basketball last year. We have good road tests at Harvard, Drake and DePaul. The Compass Challenge is always a highlight as we battle our in-state rivals for the trophy.”
NIU will host Benedictine in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 29. The Huskies will open the season on Tuesday, November 9 at the NIU Convocation Center against the Illinois State Redbirds. Illinois State was 16-9 in 2020-21 and played in the postseason WNIT. This is the fourth straight season NIU will open the season at home. NIU then goes on the road Nov. 14 to take on the Harvard Crimson. Home games against Bradley (Nov. 22) and Milwaukee (Nov. 28) close the first month of the season for NIU. Bradley won the Missouri Valley Tournament in 2021 to reach the NCAA Tournament where it took on Texas. Milwaukee won 20 games last season and played in the WNIT.
NIU opens December with the Compass Challenge, hosted by Western Illinois Dec. 3-4. The Huskies will take on the host Leathernecks on Friday, Dec. 3 and will face either Southern Illinois or Eastern Illinois the following day. NIU went 2-0 in last season’s Compass Challenge, defeating Eastern Illinois 82-72 and Western Illinois 79-67. On Dec. 12 NIU will travel to Des Moines to face the Drake Bulldogs. Drake was 18-12 last season and earned a berth into the WNIT. Four days later the Huskies go to Chicago to take on DePaul. The Blue Demons earned a berth into the WNIT last season after going 11-5 in the Big East. NIU wraps up the non-conference slate on Tuesday, Dec. 21 against Colorado State at the Convocation Center. The Huskies defeated the Rams 80-75 in overtime at Colorado State in the 2019-20 season.
Mid-American Conference play starts with a home game against Akron on Wednesday, Dec. 29. The Huskies then play three of the next four games on the road at defending MAC Tournament champions Central Michigan (Jan. 1), Ohio (Jan. 8) and Western Michigan (Jan. 12) with a home matchup against Ball State on Jan. 5. Toledo comes to DeKalb on Saturday, Jan. 15 after which the Huskies head back out on the road to face Miami on the 19th and Eastern Michigan on the 22nd.
NIU hosts Kent State on Wednesday, Jan. 26, starting a stretch of six home games over the next nine. After traveling to Buffalo (Jan. 29), the Huskies host defending MAC regular-season champions Bowling Green on Feb. 2 and Ohio on Feb. 5. NIU swept the season series with Bowling Green last season. The Huskies go to Bowling Green on the ninth then host Buffalo on Feb. 12. Following a trip to Kent State on Feb. 16, NIU starts its second voyage through the MAC West by hosting Western Michigan on Feb. 19 and Eastern Michigan on Feb. 23. NIU closes the regular season with games at Ball State (Feb. 26) and Toledo (March 2) and a home matchup against Central Michigan on Saturday, March 5.
“The MAC will be as competitive as ever from top to bottom,” Carlsen said. “We will have a lot of experience returning to the floor this season and it will be a great test for us.”
The Huskies reached the MAC Tournament quarterfinals for the third time in five seasons in 2020-21. NIU returns all five starters from last season, including junior guard Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) who was an All-MAC Second Team selection. Koker led NIU with 21 points and 3.8 assists per game last season while leading the league in free throw percentage at 88.9 percent. The Huskies also return the reigning MAC Sixth Woman of the Year in redshirt-senior guard Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic). Poisson led the MAC, and was ninth in the nation, in three-point field goal percentage at 45.1 percent a year ago.
Season tickets for the 2021-22 NIU women’s basketball season start at $35 for a General Admission seat. A Reserved season ticket (sections 103, 112 and 113) costs $50. Season tickets can be purchased by clicking on this link. Season ticket members can also renew their tickets by logging on to the link here. For more ticket information, log on to NIUHuskies.com/MyHuskies or call 815-753-PACK (7225). Courtside seats and other premium options are available through the Huskie Athletic Fund at 815-753-1923 or by logging on to HuskieAthleticFund.com.
Masks are required at all times for those in attendance at the NIU Convocation Center for men’s and women’s basketball games unless eating or drinking. Beginning this fall, a clear bag policy has been instituted for both Huskie Stadium and the NIU Convocation Center. No large bags or purses will be permitted for NIU football, volleyball or men’s and women’s basketball games. Approved bags include one clear plastic 12″x12″x6″ stadium bag or a one-gallon clear plastic storage bag or one clutch purse size 4.5″x6.5″ or smaller.
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