Final Stats

KSU 95, NIU 85 

KENT, Ohio - Trailing by 20 points with 7:10 left in the fourth quarter, the NIU women’s basketball team (8-11, 1-7 MAC) closed the gap to four points with 47 seconds at Kent State (4-14, 1-7 MAC). The Huskies attempt at their third double-digit comeback this season fell short however as the Golden Flashes’ Larissa Lurken scored 37 points to lead KSU, 95-85.

Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) registered her 10th double-double of the season, scoring 22 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. Freshmen Mikayla Voigt (Slinger, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret’s Anglican) scored career-highs with 19 points and 16 points, respectively. KSU’s Lurken finished 11-of-14 from the field, including 7-of-8 from behind the three-point line and 8-of-10 from the free throw line to score the most points on NIU  in the last three seasons.

The Huskies accounted for a season-low nine turnovers in the game and dished 21 assists on 35 field goals. NIU also had a season-high 10 steals in the game and outscored KSU in points off turnovers, 18-10. Kent State shot 52.4 percent in the game, knocking down 33-of-63 shots taken.

“I have to give Kent State a lot of credit, they did a lot of things really well, especially down the stretch. They knocked down some free throws late in the game, they took care of the basketball and they shot really well for 40 minutes,” said Head Coach Lisa Carlsen. “I think they group we had on the floor in the last 10 minutes, I give them a lot of credit for their heart because they ran the entire quarter and I probably ran them out of gas but at least, it shows that we have some heart and fight.”

The Huskies worked the paint in the opening period, moving the ball ferociously around the court until finding the open forward in the post as Amber Gray (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago), Jazmine Harris (West Allis, Wis./Heritage Christian) and Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) each scored four points in the stanza. NIU would finish the quarter with six assists, trailing KSU, 16-12.

Lurken, who scored eight points in the opening frame, would account for nine more in the half to close the first 20 minutes with 17 points including a 5-of-6 clip behind the three-point line.

The Huskies did not back down from Lurken’s hot shooting as it continued to pepper Kent State with shots, including three treys of their own - two by Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret’s Anglican) and another from Lehman.

Lehman scored 11 of the Huskies final 19 points in the period as Northern Illinois University trailed Kent State at the half, 39-31. Lehman led the Huskies in points and rebounds with 11 and six, respectively, while Voigt dished four assists in the opening half.

The Kent State offensive thrived in the third as it increased its lead, outscoring NIU in the period, 26-17, as Lurken paced the way and reached the 30-point mark in the quarter.

The Huskies did not acquiesce in the fourth as it steadily hit shots, going 21-for-43 in the final half, including 5-of-12 from the three-point line. A three-pointer by Voigt with just over three minutes left put the Huskies down by 10, 75-65, as the two teams traded free throws for the next 30 seconds.

A jumper by Lehman and another trey by Voigt lifted NIU to within five with 1:56 left, followed by a pair of turnovers by Kent State and baskets by Voigt, Lehman and a trey by Woods put NIU within four points with 47 seconds left, 87-83. However, the effort was too late as KSU closed the game at the free-throw line to win by 10, 95-85.

NIU will return to action Saturday, Jan. 30 when it hosts Buffalo at the NIU Convocation Center. Tipoff against the Bulls is set for 1 p.m. Central. The game will air live on ESPN3.