As weeks go, this may be the biggest of the season for Northern Illinois` women`s basketball team.
Tuesday night, the Huskies (8-5, 3-0) play host to North Star Conference rival Valparaiso, and Friday they entertain fourth-ranked and defending national champion Tennessee.
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Tickets for the Tennessee game-which can be purchased by calling 1-815-753-0353-are going fast, said ticket manager Norm Jenkins.
Cindy Conner continues to lead NIU in scoring at 17 points a game. E.C. Hill adds close to 14 a game and Dee Dee Jeske almost 11. The Huskies are riding a four-game winning streak.
Nice surprise: Coach Bobbie Cesarek`s gymnastics team opened the season with a second-place finish in a five-team invitational at Missouri. The host Tigers won with a score of 187.45; NIU scored 183.80. Lori Lebo took second in vault with a 9.45 effort, and Vicki Thimgan was fifth in all-around at 36.85.
The Huskies are host to Valparaiso, Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Winona State at 1 p.m. Saturday.
In the swim: After a double setback Friday to Notre Dame, coach Jeanne Fleck`s men`s and women`s swimming teams bounced back with victories Saturday over Northern Iowa. The men (3-4), led by sprint freestyler Art Sanchez, lost 133-99 to Notre Dame but beat Northern Iowa 137-97. The women (3-6), led by Pam Jackson and Kristin Scholz, defeated Northern Iowa 127.5-103.5 after its 128-88 loss to Notre Dame.
Diver Bryan Hanania has qualified for the NCAA Zone C national prequalification meet at the end of the season. He scored 315.07 points in six dives on the three-meter board during a recent dual against Northwestern. The qualifying mark is 310.
Dantzler double: Tailback T.C. Dantzler continues to round into wrestling shape, recording a 6-5 victory Saturday at Notre Dame to improve to 4-2 at 158 pounds. Shannon Gregory, a 118-pounder, and Bill Walsh (134) also won in the Huskies` 34-9 loss to the Irish.