Final Stats

DeKALB - The NIU women’s basketball (10-11, 6-5 MAC) played tight with Mid-American Conference West Division leader Western Michigan (16-7, 9-3 MAC), leading by three points with six and a half minutes left, but a 10-0 Bronco run vaulted WMU over NIU to defeat the Huskies, 60-51.

Sophomore Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) recorded her second double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and pulling down 10 rebounds to lead NIU in both categories. Amanda Corral (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) added 12 points while Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) scored 10.

“I thought we played a really good game and we had some opportunities down the stretch. Last game (versus Akron), we knocked those shots down, this game we didn’t. Western Michigan is a really good team that’s 9-3 in the MAC right now. (They’re) one of the best team’s in the conference. We gave them everything we had tonight,” said Head Coach Kathi Bennett.

The Huskies and Broncos opened the game trading baskets with WMU taking its first lead after the first three-pointer of the game, 11-10, at the 13:22 mark. The two teams then traded runs in the stanza with NIU starting things off with an 7-0 run, taking a 17-11 lead.

A matching 7-0 run later in the half by Western Michigan deadlocked the game at the final media timeout, 20-20. The Huskies added eight more points before the halftime buzzer, taking a 28-23 lead into the locker room.

NIU carried a balanced scoring sheet in the stanza as Corral, Lehman and Jenna Thorp (Hinckley, Ill./Hinckley-Big Rock) each shared the scoring lead in the half with six points. NIU shot .444 in the first period, going 12-for-27, while holding Western Michigan to just 9-of-30 from the field (.300).

The second half opened much the like first half did with both teams trading baskets and then trading runs.

Deadlocked at 39 apiece with 9:05 left, Lehman made her first free throw and missed her second, but Smith grabbed the offensive rebound, one of three in the game for her, and put the shot back to give NIU a three-point lead, 42-39, with 8:21 left.

Thorp made her final basket of the game with 7:40 left in the game, 44-41, which was NIU’s last basket before the 10-0 run by WMU. The Huskies found open looks at the end to make a comeback, which would have been it’s third-straight second half comeback, but the shots didn’t fall as NIU ended its four-game winning streak, 60-51.

NIU only committed three turnovers in the game, a season-low that surpassed its six turnover night versus Kent State on Jan. 17.

The Huskies finished the night 21-for-59 from the field (.356), three more field goals than the Broncos, who finished the night 20-of-22 (.910) from the free throw line to gain the final edge in the contest. The Broncos finished with an 18-for-20 (.900) clip at the charity stripe in the second half.

“We took them the distance and we were right there with them. If we knock down some of those shots, we’re talking about a win tonight,” Bennett added, “I’m just proud of this team right now because we gave ourselves a chance to win against the best team in our division.”

NIU will return to action Saturday afternoon when it heads to Kent State in the Golden Flashes Play 4 Kay Day, supporting breast cancer for legendary North Carolina State Head Coach Kay Yow who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2009. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. Central.