Final Stats

NIU 72, CSF 49 

DALLAS - With relentless three-point shooting, smothering defense and swiftness in transition, the NIU women’s basketball team (3-2) dispatched Cal State Fullerton (2-5) in the SMU Thanksgiving Classic consolation game, 72-49. The Huskies led by as much as 32 in the game as four players scored 10-or-more points for the second time in three games.

Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) paced NIU with 17 points, going 6-of-9 from the field and a career-best 5-of-7 behind the three-point line. Mikayla Voigt (Slinger, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) finished with a season-best 15 points, including 10 in the third quarter, while Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret’s Anglican School) and Jazmine Harris (West Allis, Wis./Heritage Christian) rounded out the bunch with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Lacia Gorman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Wayne/Wisconsin) and Lehman led the Huskies in transition as the duo outpaced the CSF offense, combining for 11 assists, led by Gorman’s career-high six helpers. She finished with a career-high eight rebounds while Lehman shared the lead in rebounds with Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) at 11 boards. Smith recording nine points in the game.

NIU opened the first period shooting .421 on 8-of-19 shooting, led by Lehman’s three baskets behind the arc, tying her career-high. The Huskies would close the period with a 20-14 lead, taking its first lead of the game on Lehman’s third trey and a mid-range jumper by Jazmine Harris (West Allis, Wis./Heritage Christian) with 2:50 left in the quarter, 13-12.

After Woods opened the second with a trey, CSF clawed back to within four points, 23-19, with 4:47 left until halftime. NIU controlled the court in the final minutes of the half as Lehman and Harris led the Huskie offense on a 13-1 run.

Harris made two athletic moves in the paint, including a hopscotch and weave from the free throw line to the basket to start NIU’s run after the under five media timeout. Lehman would hit two more three-pointers, including her final of the half with 34 seconds left to give the Huskies a 16-point halftime lead, 36-20. Lehman closed the half with 15 points on 5-of-5 three-point shooting.

The NIU defense allowed five points in the second quarter as the Titans were 1-for-11 from the field in that 10-minute stretch (.090), finishing the half with a .222 field goal percentage.

“Ally hit a couple shots that gave us a cushion and I liked the way we played defense in the first half. I thought we did a nice job of controlling our individuals in terms of dribble penetration, as well as helping each other out,” said Head Coach Lisa Carlsen. “Anytime we do that, we have the opportunity to rebound the basketball. We did a nice job of breaking down their pressure and after we hit a couple of shots, that gave us some confidence and I think it just snowballed from there.”

Northern Illinois University came out flying in the second half as well, opening the period on a 16-4 run through the first 5:25 of the half. Voigt scored 10 points in that span, sinking two free throws and two three-pointers, helping push NIU’s lead to 28 points. The Huskies would close the third quarter with a 26-point lead, 60-34.

The Huskies’ bench saw a majority of the minutes in the final quarter as they scored 12 points in the period and helped NIU finish with 31 bench points. Northern Illinois University built a 32-point lead with 6:32 left in the game.

Lehman filled the box score in the game as she led NIU in points (17), rebounds (11) and blocks (2). She also dished five assists in the game. With tournament averages of 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists, Lehman was named to the SMU Thanksgiving Classic’s All-Tournament team.

The Huskies will return to action Thursday afternoon when it heads to Milwaukee for a showdown with the Panthers. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. Central.