Nov. 19, 2009

Box Score

Box Score in PDF Format

INDIANAPOLIS - Leaning heavily on the inside duo of Mauvolyene Adams and Ebony Ellis, the Northern Illinois women's basketball team captured a 71-55 win over IUPUI Thursday night.

Ellis (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Township) and Adams (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) both registered double-doubles in the win. Adams led the Huskies and tied her career high with 20 points while pulling down 11 boards. Ellis scored 13 points and had 13 rebounds.

The Huskies (2-1) snatched 23 more rebounds than the Jaguars (0-3), and NIU totaled more than 20 offensive rebounds for the second time in three games. The Huskie guards hit the glass hard, as three backcourt players had four or more rebounds.

"Our defense and our rebounding was the key today, and that was the emphasis," NIU head coach Carol Owens said. "We talked about how we wanted our defense and our rebounding to dictate our offense and we were effective tonight."

Northern Illinois trailed by as many as eight points after committing eight turnovers in the first eight minutes of the game. The Huskies settled in to give the ball up just once more the rest of the half, turning the deficit into a five point lead at the break.

"Our kids were ready to play, and just started out the game rushing," Owens said. "Once we settled down, we saw what was important and how we needed to play."

Trailing by seven with 11:27 left in the first, Ellis and Adams scored NIU's next nine points to tie the game at 19. From there, the Huskies went on a 12-2 run to secure a 10-point lead, which they never relinquished.

NIU shot 51.6 percent (16-of-31) from the field in the second half while holding the Jaguars to 36 percent (9-of-25) shooting.

Junior Marke Freeman (Springfield, Ill./Lanphier) scored 11 points, and Courtney Shelton (Rockford, Ill./Hononegah) added nine. IUPUI was led by Kerah Nelson with 13, while Janna Eichelberger scored 11 and Briannica Tye put in 10.

Both Huskie freshmen Shaakira Haywood (Canton, Mich./Plymouth) and Brittney Callahan (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) scored their first points in the Cardinal and Black. Haywood tallied six points to go with seven rebounds and two blocks. Callahan hit a free throw for her initial point at NIU, and later netted a lay-up to finish with three.

Northern Illinois returns home to host Southern Illinois at 1 p.m. Sunday in the first game of a double-header with the Huskie men's team. Tickets are available at www.niuhuskies.com, by calling (815) 752-6800 or at the door.