ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Lindenwood women's basketball team will be returning home to Hyland Arena for a 7:00 p.m. tip off against the Northern Illinois Huskies.

The Lions were last in action on Sunday, Dec. 4, a 46-79 loss at Tulsa. Emily Benzschawel led the way with 20 points off the bench against the Golden Hurricane, hitting the 20 point mark for the first time this season. The senior guard now leads Lindenwood with 11.1 points per game. Mary McGrath is next up on the leaderboard, averaging the next highest points per game with 10.0, as well as a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game.

Masyn McWilliams holds the top spot on the leaderboard with 2.0 assists per game, while McGrath averages the most steals per game with 1.9 so far this season. 

The injury-ridden Lions are getting closer to full strength now as non-conference play is beginning to wrap up, with graduate senior Devin Fuhring getting her first minutes of the season against Tulsa on Sunday. Fuhring was the leading returner for the Lions after last year, averaging 14.0 points per game before falling victim to a knee injury that sidelined her for the remainder of the year. Lindenwood will benefit from Fuhring's leadership and experience to finish strong before OVC play begins on December 29 at Eastern Illinois. 

Lindenwood is the fourth opponent NIU is facing for the first time this season. NIU has gone 3-0 in those games, defeating Southern Indiana, Navy and Richmond. The Huskies are 7-1 so far this year, going on a seven-game win streak after their 48-88 loss to No. 9 Notre Dame back on Nov. 7. 

Senior A'Jah Davis currently leads the Huskies with 15.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game averages, shooting an impressive .562 from the floor so far this year. Senior Chelby Koker is right behind her, having most recently led NIU with a season-high 26 points in their 71-69 win over Eastern Illinois, making the game-winning shot with 2.2 seconds left. Koker leads the MAC with 5.0 assists per game and is fourth with a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio.

For more information regarding tomorrow's game, make sure to check out 2022-23 Women's Basketball Schedule - Lindenwood University Athletics (lindenwoodlions.com).