Final Stats

NIU-Ohio Box Score 

ATHENS, Ohio - The NIU women’s basketball (6-9, 2-3 MAC) played strong under the basket as it outrebounded Ohio (14-3, 5-1 MAC) in the Convocation Center, 38-35, thanks to a plus-eight offensive rebound margin. The Huskies would fall to Bobcats however, 67-40.

Amanda Corral (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) led all scorers in the contest with 15 points while Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds, adding seven points and three assists.

“(Ohio is) a really good team that makes shots and they can make contested shots. I thought our first half (defensively) was horrendous, and I thought we did a better job in the second half. We were a lot better offensively. We changed some things up at halftime and we got some open looks,” said Head Coach Kathi Bennett.

The opening period was one of runs as each offense scored in bursts. The Huskies biggest run of the period, a 9-0 run trailing by 15 before the NIU offensive explosion, brought the Huskies within six points, 21-15, with 6:40 left in the half.

Renee Sladek (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) started the run following the third media timeout as she was fouled on a good layup and converted the free throw for a three-point swing. A trey by Lehman, and another layup and free throw - this time by Corral, brought the Huskies within six points.

Corral added one more basket in the half to end the first stanza with nine points, sharing the half high with Ohio’s Kat Yelle. The Bobcats carried a 36-17 after the first 20 minutes of the half. The Huskies out rebounded Ohio in the period, 17-16, with Lehman accounting for eight of those boards.

As a team, the Bobcats shot 50 percent from the field through 20 minutes (15-for-30).

That same hot-shooting continued for Ohio as it finished the game shooting 27-for-56 for a field goal percentage of .482.

NIU limited its turnovers in the second half as it only committed two turnovers in the period.

From start to finish, the Huskies outrebounded the Bobcats, finishing with a three board advantage, 38-35. NIU’s 15 rebounds off the offensive glass were a season-high. Lehman was the catalyst as she closed the night with a career-high 17 boards, 13 on the densive glass.

Sladek finished with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds. Lehman also scored seven points in the effort.

“I’m always the first to tell you I wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m going to be honest; the effort was there. We played our tails off. Ohio was hot and they shot it very well. I just wish we would’ve played a little better defensively in the first,” added Bennett.

NIU will return to action Saturday afternoon in Buffalo, N.Y., when the Huskies take on the Buffalo Bulls. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. Central. The contest will be aired live on ESPN3.