Final Stats

DeKALB - Tied 52-52 with 0.8 seconds left under the Kent State basket, KSU’s Larissa Lurken lobbed the ball to Melanee Stubbs, who sank the shot at the buzzer as Kent State (4-19, 2-10 MAC) defeated NIU (10-12, 6-6 MAC) as time expired, 54-52. The Huskies and Golden Flashes exchanged the lead 12 times in the game, the most in an NIU game this season.

Amanda Corral (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) scored all 17 of her points in the second half to rally the Huskies in the period, going 5-for-7 from the field. Jenna Thorp (Hinckley, Ill./Hinckley-Big Rock) scored 10 points with three rebounds.

“It was a really tough loss with a lot of miscommunication down the stretch. I take full responsibility for this loss, I should’ve changed the lineup that I had out there,” said Head Coach Kathi Bennett. “We committed a silly foul at the end of the game when we didn’t  need to and we missed a couple free throws on the back end of bonuses.

“We overcame some key misses tonight too, moving around some players and getting some players in off the bench and I thought we were going to get (the win). It’s just disappointing not to get it because we shot ourselves in the foot at the end,” Bennett added.

The NIU defense was on a mission in the first half as it forced 13 Kent State turnovers in the period, while only committing four in the stanza. The Huskies took their first lead of the game with 10:04 remaining on a three-pointer by Danny Pulliam (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) to make it a 10-9 NIU. A pull-up jumper by Kelly Smith gave the Huskies a 12-9 lead but the Golden Flashes would end the half with the advantage, 22-17.

NIU registered five assists in the period as five different players distributed from the field. Kent State carried a 24-8 rebounding advantage in the first stanza.

The Huskies offense awoke the second half as it went 11-for-19 (.579) from the field in the final 20 minutes of the game, outscoring the Golden Flashes, 35-32.

NIU and Kent State began trading baskets and free throws as the teams traded leads 10 times in the second half, including seven changes and three ties in the final five minutes of the game.

A layup by Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) with 17 seconds left gave NIU a one point lead, 51-50, but a foul after the inbounds pass sent Mikell Chin to the line, who made both free throws to put KSU back in charge, 52-51.

Corral rushed down the floor with 16 seconds left and worked the ball into the key with heavy opposition. Being pushed to the court with 7.8 seconds left, Corral went to the free throw line and tied the game with her first shot, 52-52.

Missing the second shot, Kent State rebounded Corral’s miss and zipped down the court to attempt the final shot. Chin lost control of the ball and her body at the baseline. After an official review decided possession and time on the clock, 0.8 seconds, Kent State attempted the final lob shot, where Stubbs caught the ball at the top of the key and threw the ball back off the rim. After teetering off the left and right side of the rim, the ball fell in the basket with no time left, lifting the Golden Flashes over NIU, 54-52.

Pulliam finished the game with nine points and four assists to compliment Corral’s and Thorp’s double-digit efforts. The Huskies led the final turnover battle, 18-7, to outscore the Golden Flashes in points off turnovers, 16-5.

Northern Illinois University will return action Wednesday morning at Toledo when the Huskies and Rockets meet on Education Day. Tipoff from Savage Arena is set for 10 a.m. Central.