Final Stats

DeKALB - The NIU women’s basketball team (11-14, 7-8 MAC) used team defense, ball distribution and a season-high eight three-point field goals to defeat Central Michigan (12-14, 7-8 MAC) Wednesday night at the NIU Convocation Center, 69-62.

Amanda Corral (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) scored 25 points while Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) distributed a career-high 10 assists. Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) added 16 points as well. The Huskies accounted for a season-high 20 assists in the game and eight three-point field goals.

“I’m very proud of the way this team bounced back after Saturday’s loss and they showed a great mentality to overcome that and win tonight,” said Head Coach Kathi Bennett. “Ally did a great job defensively on Crystal (Bradford) and it was the best performance I’ve seen against her by one of our players. She distributed the ball really well tonight, finding the open players and the gaps (in CMU’s defense).”

The Chips hit two-straight three pointers to start the game and take a 6-0 lead. The Huskies did not sit idle for long as it rallied back, taking a 9-8 lead on a Renee Sladek (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) layup with 16:49 left.

NIU would go on a 9-2 run to build a 18-12 lead and follow that up with 7-0 run later in the half to go on top by eight points, 25-17, with 8:22 remaining on a trey by Lehman.

She would lead the Huskies in points (9), rebounds (6) and assists (4) as she was 4-for-8 from the field at halftime. Corral only scored seven points in the first half, allowing her to explode for 18 in the second period.

The Huskies would carry their lead through the final 20 minutes of the half, though Central Michigan knocked on the door throughout the period, coming within five minutes of NIU five times in the stanza. With 3:52 left in regulation, CMU’s Aleah Swary made a three-point field goal to bring the Chips within one point, 55-54.

Northern Illinois University responded with a 7-0 run to go back up by eight as Jenna Thorp (Hinckley, Ill./Hinckley-Big Rock), Smith and Corral all attacked the paint with layups to go back up by eight with 1:48.

The Chippewas were forced to foul in the final minutes of the period, however, they sent Corral to the line nine times in the period, where she made eight of her shots in the half. Overall, Corral was 10-for-11 at the charity stripe against the Chips.

The Huskies 69-points were the most scored this season by NIU in their 15 Mid-American Conference games this season.

Lehman was just shy of the Huskies first triple-double in 20 years, finishing with nine points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. As a team, NIU dished a season-best 20 assists while only committing seven turnovers. Corral scored nine of her 25 points from behind the three-point line and finished the game 6-of-16 from the field. Smith led NIU in field goals with seven.

Lehman’s 10-assist game was NIU’s first since Courtney Shelton dished 12 at Indiana on Dec. 17, 2011.

After shooting .387 from the field in the first half, NIU finished with a .481 percentage in the final 20 minutes (13-for-27) to close the contest 25-for-58 for a clip of .431. Da’Jourie Turner led CMU with 20 points, followed by Crystal Bradford, who added 19 points for the Chips.

The Huskies will return to action Saturday at Eastern Michigan in the Convocation Center. Tipoff between NIU and Eagles is set for 1 p.m. Central.