Final Stats

YPSILANTI, Mich. - The NIU women's basketball team (11-15, 7-9 MAC) fell to Eastern Michigan (16-11, 9-7 MAC) Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center as he Eagles made two more three-pointers and two more free throws to defeat the Huskies, 60-52.

Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) led NIU with 15 points while Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) added 13 points. Renee Sladek (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) was one point shy of double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. Danny Pulliam (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) scored eight points with four rebounds.

With four assists in the game, Lehman suprassed the 100 assist mark for the season to become the first NIU player since Courtney Shelton in 2011-12 to dish 100-or-more assists in a season.

"It wasn't our best offensive performance today. I understand most of our turnovers but mentally from a preparation standpoint, I feel like we all have to get on the same page. I just thought we were all really random," said Head Coach Kathi Bennett. "I thought Danny played well, giving us great minutes and showing us what we could do on (Cha) Sweeney.

The Huskies and Eagles went back and forth in the half as the teams swapped leads seven times with five ties. Ball movement was strong for NIU in the stanza as it distributed eight assists, four of which came from the Huskies front court as Jenna Thorp (Hinckley, Ill./Hinckley) had three helpers, kicking the ball inside-out.

Lehman opened the game 3-for-3, including one field goal behind the arc to give her seven points in the half. Smith led the Huskies with nine points in the stanza, finishing 4-of-8 from the field.

Defensively, Northern Illinois University was sound through the first 20 minutes as it did not allow Eastern Michigan to lead more than two points in the half. The Eagles were only 11-for-30 from the field (.367) while forcing seven turnovers.

In the second half, Eastern Michigan built a 12 point lead with 13:38 left in the half, thanks to three three-point field goals by Sera Ozelci in the game.

NIU played a spirited half but the double-digit deficit early in the half proved to be too much to overcome. The Huskies and the Eagles traded baskets and runs for the remainder of the second half, including two separate 6-0 runs by Northern Illinois University in the half.

Down the stretch, Thorp made three clutch baskets in the paint, one of which lifted NIU to within seven points with 4:10 left in regulation. Lehman added eight points in the half as well, going 4-for-7 from the field in 20 minutes on the court.

The sophomore finished 7-of-13 from the field with 15 points, four assists and six rebounds. Smith scored 13 on the night. The Huskies finished the second half 11-of-26 from the field for a clip of .423.

Eastern Michigan's Cha Sweeney finished with 21 points to lead EMU.

NIU will return to action Wednesday morning when it hosts Toledo at the NIU Convocation Center for Education Day. The Huskies and Rockets will tipoff at 11 a.m.