INSIDE, OUTSIDE. Good things happen when you move the basketball.

[The Lady Huskies] (10-14, 6-7) shot an impressive 54 percent (27-of-50) from the floor against the Chippewas, who came in ranked second in defensive field goal percentage, allowing just 39.5 percent in MAC games.

The hot percentage from the floor was attributed to getting the ball inside to the post for high-percentage shots. NIU used the high-low combination of Stephanie Raymond and Kristin Wiener to pound the ball inside. Raymond threw an entry pass over the top to Wiener on at least four different occasions to score easy two-point baskets for the Huskies. NIU outscored Central Michigan 32-12 on points in the paint.

Better things happen when you prevent the other team from scoring.

[T]he Huskies' defense kept them in the game by holding the Chippewas (14-10, 5-8) without a basket for the first 5:27. The Huskies held CMU to 15 points in the first half and forced 23 turnovers.“I don't think we were worried,” Wiener said about the slow start. “With our defense we held them to one point, it was 1-0 for a long time. We finally got something to fall. We knew if we kept our defense up that something had to fall sooner or later.”

Play smart, win. I like that.