There are some games teams know they must win, and there are few better places to do it than at home.

The NIU women’s basketball team (4-11 overall, 0-2 MAC) is looking to snap its four-game losing streak, taking on visiting Central Michigan (4-11, 0-2) Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

NIU is coming off a difficult loss to Ball State at home and looks to take advantage of a CMU team that has yet to win a game on the road this season, having lost all eight of its contests away from the comforts of home.

“So far this season we’ve played very well at home,” said NIU senior forward Whitney Lowe. “It is essential we come out ready to play.”

The Chippewas are second worst in the MAC in scoring defense, allowing 72.3 points per game. The team is also the worst in field goal percentage, shooting .364.

“We want to make it an uptempo game,” NIU head coach Carol Owens said. “That has to be our best offense; to make easy shots in transition.”

CMU also comes into the game second to last in rebounding margin at –7.1 in the MAC. On the contrary, the Huskies are second with a margin of +3.9.

“You have to think of a rebound as a pass to yourself,” Owens said. “We want to go into the game and dictate that presence inside.”

The Huskies must also secure the ball. CMU leads the conference with 11.4 steals per game, and is third in turnover margin at +2.33 per game.

In its last game, CMU fell at home to Western Michigan, 67-57. CMU struggled in the first half of that game, shooting only 24 percent. The Chippewas are led by junior guard Angel Chan, who averages 10.3 points per game.

“We’ve done well against leading scorers, but we can’t forget about everyone else,” Owens said.

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