Final Stats |  Photo Gallery 

NIU-BGSU Box Score 

DeKALB - For the first time since 2004, the NIU women's basketball team (7-10, 3-4 MAC) defeated Mid-American Conference perennial power Bowling Green (9-10, 2-6 MAC) with a complete performance on both ends of the floor as the Huskies defeated the Falcons, 67-50. The Huskies are now 5-1 at home this season.

Amanda Corral (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) finished the game 30 points on 12-of-15 shooting (.800) to tie her career-high in scoring. Freshman Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) recorded her first career double-double as she scored 15 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, including seven on the offense glass, to set new season-best marks.

"We had some special performances from Amanda (Corral) and Kelly (Smith) tonight but I thought as a team I'm proud of how we responded when (Bowling Green) made a run there at the end. I thought we did a great job of executing our game plan tonight. They killed us on offensive rebounds the last time we played them and I thought we did a great job of limiting them on that side tonight," said Head Coach Kathi Bennett.

The Huskies started the game with an aggressive tone as it entered the first media timeout with a 9-2 lead and followed that up with a 15-5 scoring streak which led to 36-21 halftime advantage. NIU out rebounded the Falcons at halftime, 24-8, and finished the game with a 45-20 difference, including a 12-2 advantage on the offensive glass.

While the Huskie offense shot over 55 percent in the first half (16-of-29), the defense only allowed BGSU to shoot 28 percent in the period as it only shot 7-of-25 in the first half. Corral was 7-of-9 shooting in the first half to close the period with 16 points, including a perfect 2-for-2 behind the three-point line.

Both NIU's and BGSU's offense surged in the second half as the Huskies built a 22-point lead with 13:52 left in the game, but it was the Huskies defense that made the difference in the game.

The Falcons climbed back to within five points with 7:03 left thanks to a 17-0 run but it was six straight stops by the Huskie defense that allowed NIU to go on an 11-0 run to extend the lead to 16 points with 3:35 left, 61-45. Corral broke NIU's six-plus minute scoreless drought and Smith followed that up with a putback and a three-pointer to start the run.

"We've talked a great deal in the past when (runs like) this has happened before that we needed to rely on the potential of our unit, not on individuality. We really stayed with it and executed our offense. I'm just so proud of the way we stayed together at the end," closed Bennett.

The win resulted in the Huskies first over the Falcons since a four-overtime thriller at Bowling Green in 2004. It was also the first in DeKalb since 2003. The victory improved the Huskies to 5-1 in the NIU Convocation Center this season.

The strong NIU performance was also supported by Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) and Renee Sladek (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) who both finished with eight points and eight rebounds. The two combined for nine assists in the game as Lehman finished with five and Sladek dished for a career-best four.

Corral's 12 field goals in the game set a new standard in her time at NIU, surpassing her 11 field goal afternoon at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 26. It also tied the NIU Convocation Center record. Her 30 point performance was the second of her career.

NIU returns to action Saturday afternoon in Muncie, Ind. as the Huskies take on Ball State at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals (10-9, 6-2 MAC) and the Huskies will tipoff at 1 p.m. Central.