The Northern Illinois University women’s basketball team will honor its four graduating seniors Saturday for Senior Day as the Huskies take on Akron at 1 p.m. at the NIU Convocation Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well as on the Varsity Network and NIU Huskies apps.

Kortney Drake (Wilton, Iowa/Kirkwood CC), Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont), Tara Stauffacher (Columbus, Wis./Wisconsin) and Jayde Van Hyfte (Annawan, Ill./Arizona State) will be honored following Saturday’s game. Graduate Assistant De’Jah Weathersby and team manager Shani Bowens will also be recognized.

NIU (9-9, 3-4 MAC) looks to continue its stellar play on its home floor Saturday. The Huskies are 6-2 at the Convocation Center this season, holding opponents to 56.2 points per game. NIU has held each opponent at home this year under 70 points. The Huskies have been especially good in the fourth quarter at home, outscoring opponents 143-103 in the final period. NIU is also a perfect 4-0 on Saturdays this season, averaging 73.2 points per game.

Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) recorded the first double-double of her career in NIU’s game at Toledo this past Wednesday. The senior guard had 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. She also had a game-high six assists in the game with only one turnover. It was Marable’s fifth game this season with at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Marable is fifth in the Mid-American Conference with 4.4 assists per game and a 1.63 assist/turnover ratio.

Akron is 6-11 on the year and 1-6 in MAC play. The Zips lost at Western Michigan 60-51 on Wednesday night. Redshirt-senior guard Morgan Haney led Akron with 13 points. Reagan Bass added eight points and nine rebounds. Bass leads the MAC in rebounding at 11.2 rebounds per game, which puts her eighth in the nation. She is also third in the conference in scoring at 18.2 points per game.

NIU won last season’s meeting 88-63 at the Convocation Center. The Huskies have won six straight games against Akron. The two teams will face each other at Akron on March 2.

This Saturday’s game is a “Scholarship Saturday” with a special scholarship giveaway to one lucky NIU student, provided that 150 or more NIU students attend the game. If the attendance threshold of 150 students is met, one lucky student will be randomly selected to win a $1,500 scholarship. The student must be in attendance when the winner is selected in the fourth quarter. This promotion will also be in effect for the February 10^th women’s basketball game against Georgia Southern.

The Huskie Basketball 2024 pack is available for Saturday’s game. This ticket deal includes four lower bowl tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and four chips for just $40. Go to niuhuskies.com/2024PACK and enter the promo code 2024 PACK.

Following Saturday’s game, NIU goes on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 31 to take on Bowling Green.