Final Stats

EMU 87, NIU 80 (OT) 

DeKALB - Northern Illinois University (8-6, 1-2 MAC) dropped its first home game of the 2015-16 season Saturday night at the NIU Convocation Center as Eastern Michigan’s (11-3, 2-1 MAC) Janay Morton forced overtime with two free throws and vaulted the Eagles to an overtime victory, 87-80.

The #MACtion scriptwriters were at it again Saturday evening as NIU (8-6, 1-2 MAC) and Eastern Michigan (11-3, 2-1 MAC) battled in DeKalb. Game-tying free throws by EMU with 57 seconds left, followed by a go-ahead layup with 31 seconds left, put Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret’s Anglican) in a position to drain a go-ahead three-pointer with 10 seconds left on the clock, 70-69.

After an Eastern Michigan timeout with 7.1 seconds left, the Eagles’ leading scorer Cha Sweeney drove to the basket and attempted a layup but a fingertip block by Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek) put the ball of the rim and into the hands of Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) with three seconds left.

Hitting one free throw to put NIU on top by two, 71-69, EMU was forced to inbound the ball with 2.8 seconds left and never had the chance as a deadball foul on Lehman put Morton on the line for two free throws, forcing overtime, 71-71, and fouling out Lehman in the process.

Eastern Michigan would outscore the Huskies 16-9 in overtime to take their first game in DeKalb since 2013, 87-80. NIU was within five points with 1:19 left on the clock but a 10-for-13 free throw clip by EMU in overtime sealed the Eagles second conference win.

Four Huskies reached double figures, led by Smith’s career-highs 20 points and 15 rebounds. Jazmine Harris (West Allis, Wis./Heritage Christian) scored 18 points while Woods scored 14, including nine behind the arc. Lehman registered 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. NIU was 31-for-73 from the field, shooting .425 in the game.

Sweeney led the Eagles quintet of double-digit scorers with 28 points. Eastern Michigan outscored the Huskies off of turnovers, 24-6.

“That was a tough one, every game is going to be a battle and, unfortunately, we came out on the short tonight but I’m really proud of these guys for working as hard, fighting back as much as they did and through the circumstances that we faced,” said Head Coach Lisa Carlsen. “We can’t get too high and we can’t get too low. We just have to get back at.”

The Huskies and Eagles each got off to a hot start, combined for 28 points and .522 from the field as NIU lead at the first media timeout, 15-13. The period would end tied with the Huskies closing the frame on a 4-0 run, 20-20.

Scoring six points in the opening stanza, Smith would open the second with her third second-chance basket of the game. At the 7:49 mark, she reached double-figures, leading all scorers in the period with 10 points.

With NIU leading 29-24 with 6:17 left in the half, Eastern Michigan would go on an 8-0 run over the next 3:41 to retake the lead, 32-29, as Chanise Baldwin drained four free throws in that time.

A jumper by Harris at the 2:36 mark would kickstart the Huskies’ own 8-0 run as Mikayla Voigt drained a three-pointer, Cassidy Glenn sunk a layup and Woods closed the half with a free throw. NIU would close the first half shooting .444 from the field (16-of-36) with 12 assists while outrebounding Eastern Michigan, 26-17.

Northern Illinois University would build a nine-point lead with 8:11 left in the frame until each team began trading blows. Eastern Michigan would get last say in the stanza as Sweeney scored a jumper in the lane with two seconds left to cut NIU’s lead to four points, 52-48.

The Eagles cut their deficit to one basket, 52-50, in the first possession of the fourth quarter until Woods hit her second three-pointer to start a 7-0 run by the Huskies. Lehman made two free throws following a technical by Phyllis Webb, however, EMU responded with a 6-0 run to make it a 59-58 game with 4:36 left.

The fireworks began shortly thereafter as the Huskies would go on a 7-0 run to lead 65-60 before EMU clawed back to within two points before the last minute thriller that forced overtime.

The Huskies will return to action Wednesday night when it takes on Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Central. The game will air live on ESPN3.