Sports
Thursday, February 4, 2016
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Maric coming along in second year 2015-16 stats (NIU)
Krystal Ward Staff writer
DeKalb | NIU redshirt sophomore Marin Maric has been a solid force for men’s basketball this season, and his play dates back to his days of playing championship FIBA basketball in the likes of Croatia and Greece. Maric has bounced back after injuring himself in his freshman year and playing limited minutes in his second season. His extra time to get acquainted has played a large part in his progress. Maric was born in Split, Croatia and attended La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Ind. for one season before competing for Croatia in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championships in Prague. He averaged 6.1 points on 55.6 percent shooting and 3.6 rebounds per game for Croatia, appearing in all eight games. He drained 18 points on perfect 8-of-8 shooting against China in the final game of the tournament. Croatia finished eighth in the tournament. Maric played in just eight games in his first season at NIU due to a broken foot he suffered before a game against Dartmouth College and would miss the remainder of the season. He was averaging 3 points and 2.5 rebounds on 66 percent shooting before the injury. Maric played for Croatia once again in the summer of 2014, this time helping the team to fourth place in the 2014 FIBA Championships. Maric averaged 7.1 points on 61.7 percent shooting and
PPG: 12.3 (1st) REBS: 8 (1st) FTA: 4.7 att/g (1st) 3PT: 45% (1st) Blocks: 1.2 (1st) Min. played: 26.5 (3rd) FGP: 49% (1st) Steals: 17 (4th)
Atlee Hargis | Northern Star File Photo
Redshirt sophomore center Marin Maric pumps up the crowd in a Jan. 19 game against Central Michigan. Maric scored 12 points to aid the Huskies in a come from behind victory, 75-70.
averaged 4.8 rebounds per game at the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championships in Greece. He poured in 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in a second round victory over Israel. It was a quick glimpse of what Maric would eventually bring to his NIU team.
Maric appeared in 26 games for the Huskies last season, including seven starts. He was able to shoot 57 percent (47-82) from the field for the season and average 4.9 points and four rebounds per game despite averaging just 14 minutes. He scored in double
figures three times and ranked 14th in the MAC in offensive rebounding, averaging 1.7 per game. He has appeared in all 21 games this season, starting in all of them. He has recorded seven doubledoubles this season, including five in seven games from Dec. 19 to
Good practices helping women’s tennis Danielle Brown Staff writer
In Brief
Football names 22 new recruits Northern Star Staff
DeKalb | Women’s tennis is off
to a 2-2 start this season and, if the team’s practices are any indication, it is set to be a much more improved team than it was last season. The Huskies went 11-9 last year, but ended the season with a fivegame losing streak, dropping six of their last seven games. It can be easy to judge a team by wins and losses, but many people don’t get a chance to see how a team prepares throughout the week. The Huskies usually start practice by taking laps around the track at the Chick Evans Field House. Conditioning is crucial in a sport like tennis, and the team always makes sure to make it a focal point of its practices. The team follows its lap-running by working on strength exercises, doing obstacle-type line drills. The drill is set up like a military obstacle course and the Huskies use ladders to work on agility, running through them and working on their footwork. Head coach Tanya Gombera then goes over what she feels the team needs to improve on, which can change on a daily basis. She said that although it tends to change, the team likes to practice doubles rather than singles, before working on the little things such as consistency and depth. Lastly, the team works on serving with the main goal being to get higher serve percentages.
Jan. 12. Maric is fifth in the MAC in rebounding (8.1 rebounds/ game) and is in the top 10 in field goal percentage (51 percent). Maric is seventh in the MAC in blocked shots, second in offensive rebounds and tenth in defensive rebounds. He fights on the glass and for every loose ball, even when he may tumble to the floor. He is an energetic guy that loves to get the crowd excited and on its feet, whether he is waving his arms up and down after a huge play or screaming a passionate “Let’s go.” Each summer and season, Maric has showed continuous improvement, and there is no reason not to believe that he will continue on an upward trend. He is a steady force on this Huskie team and should continue to be a reliable force in the paint.
Photo Courtesy NIU Athletics Communications
Senior Cristina Alvarez gathers for a swing earlier this season. Alvarez has 98 combined career wins and has a chance to crack 100 this weekend as the Huskies face off against Cleveland State.
The Huskies have finished with winning records just twice in the last 10 seasons, but Gombera looks to have the team headed in a positive direction in just her second season. The team is 13-11
since she took over, and her practice techniques seem to be paying off. The team may not become dominant or dangerous in just one year, but if it is able to keep at its current pace, the future has a
chance to be very bright. The Huskies will look to move back over .500 for the season this week, facing off against Cleveland State University at 11 a.m. Saturday in Rockford.
DeKalb | National Signing Day took place yesterday for football, and the Huskies added 22 new recruits to their roster for the 2016-17 season. Ten of NIU’s recruits come from Illinois, and the rest range from states including Wis., Miss., Minn., Mich., Iowa, Ind. and Ga. The class included two quarterbacks, a tight end, a running back, four receivers, four offensive lineman, two linebackers, three defensive backs, three defensive lineman and one ATH. Here is the full list of NIU recruits for Spring 2016: 1. Mitchell Brinkman (TE) 2. Antonio Cannon (RB) 3. Marcus Childers (QB) 4. Lance Deveaux, Jr. (S) 5. Jalen Embry (CB) 6. Ryan Gibbons (WR) 7. Andrew Gregory (LB) 8. Ezekiel Gueths (OL) 9. Jeck Heflin (DL) 10. Daniel Isom (DB) 11. Karon Keyes (WR) 12. Justin Knauf (K) 13. Ben LeRoy (DL) 14. Corey Lersch (LB) 15. Alton Meeks (DE) 16. Benn Olson (OL) 17. Andrew Parchment (WR) 18. Brayden Patton (OT) 19. Jordan Robinson (WR) 20. Ivan Smith (ATH) 21. Anthony Thompson (QB) 22. Austin Warner (OL)