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Marke Freeman scored a career-high 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting Saturday afternoon

Women's Basketball

Freeman's 33 Not Enough to Ground Cardinals

Jan. 9, 2010

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DeKALB, Ill. - Junior Marke Freeman scored 33 points, but her career-high scoring output wasn't enough, as the Huskies fell in a 64-62 nail-biter against Ball State Saturday at the Convocation Center.

"We are disappointed in the loss today," NIU head coach Carol Owens said. "I thought we had opportunities and we didn't get the defensive stops we needed to get late in the game."

Trailing by three, Ball State's Danielle Gratton hit a three-pointer to tie the game with 57 seconds left. NIU turned the ball over on its next possession, and Gratton hit the game-winning lay-up with 3.5 seconds on the clock to give Ball State the win. The result sent the Huskies to 6-8 overall and 0-2 in Mid-American Conference play, while Ball State improved to 7-7, and 2-0 in the MAC.

"We let Gratton get a big three when we were up three points," Owens said. "If she doesn't make that, we're talking about a different game."

Second-year Ball State head coach Kelly Packard agreed with Owens nearly to the letter.

"Danielle Gratton stepped up in a pressure situation and scored our last five points," Packard said. "If she doesn't knock down the three, it's a different game we're talking about."

Freeman converted six three-pointers in 10 attempts to go with a team-high three assists and five rebounds. She scored 19 of NIU's 30 first-half points on 8-of-12 shooting. She surpassed her previous career-high of 27 in the second half.

NIU finished the contest going 24-62 from the field, and held a 6-3 advantage on three-pointers over the Cardinals. Mauvolyene Adams (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 21 points and 16 rebounds.

Freeman (Springfield, Ill./Lanphier) sparked the comeback run after sinking a long trey to pull the Huskies within three. A pair of free throws by freshman Britney Callahan (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) tied the game at 16 before both teams began trading baskets. Neither squad found an advantage and headed to the locker room tied 30-30.

Ball State came out firing in the second half, hitting four consecutive baskets before missing their next five attempts. Freeman refused to leave the Cardinal defense alone in the second half, sinking four treys to put the Huskies up 46-44 at the 13:00 mark.

Following in first-half fashion, both teams continued to trade baskets up until the game's last minute. Adams came up big for NIU over the last 20 minutes, tallying 14 of her 21 points in the second.

The Huskies continue their MAC season when they host Western Michigan Tuesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.niuhuskies.com or by calling (815) 752-6800.

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