PEORIA, Ill. – Northern Illinois University senior
Ally Lehman (Nineveh, Ind./Indian Creek HS) became the first player in NCAA Division I women's basketball this year to record two triple doubles as she scored 12 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out 10 assists to lead six Huskie players in double figures as NIU defeated Bradley, 81-51, Friday night at Renaissance Coliseum.
Lehman posted the fourth triple-double in NIU history and is the first Huskie player with two of the points-assists-rebounds feat to her credit. She completed the triple double by feeding
Mikayla Voigt (Slinger, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran HS) on the fast break at the end of the third quarter and played just 30 minutes in the game.
"Ally continues to be Ally," said NIU Head Coach
Lisa Carlsen. "She makes it look simple. Right now the game, for her, is coming easy. That's a tribute to her and a tribute to her teammates as well. She's always been a good rebounder; we know she can score and she gets her teammates the ball at the right time, in the right position and they are making their shots."
Lehman's triple-double was the first in the six-year history of the Renaissance Coliseum at Bradley. She was joined in double figures by five teammates. Voigt and freshman
Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic HS) led the way with 13 points each, freshman
Abby Woollacott (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Lutheran HS) scored 12 points in her first career game, while
Cassidy Glenn (New Lenox, Ill./Providence HS) and
Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's Anglican School) added 10 points apiece. NIU shot 47.7 percent from the field in the game, made 7 of their 13 three-pointers and were 12-of-15 from the free throw line.
The win improved the Huskies' record to 5-2 on the season and gave Carlsen her 200
th career victory. Carlsen was almost as pleased with the team's defensive effort, which held Bradley to 51 points, just two days after Drake scored 95. Bradley was held to 24.7 shooting for the game on 18-of-73 shooting and were held to just four points in the second quarter.
"We did some different things on defense tonight, we did more switching and I think the team adjusted well and got more comfortable as the game went on," Carlsen said.
The Huskies jumped out to an early 12-4 lead with Lehman scoring six of the Huskies' first 12 points. Bradley responded with 10 points in the final 2:20 of the frame and the team's entered the second quarter tied, 16-16.
NIU used a 20-4 second-quarter outburst to lead 36-20 at halftime. Bradley went just two-of-16 from the field in the frame. The four points were the fewest ever scored by an NIU opponent in a quarter, breaking the previous low of five scored by Ohio on Jan. 23, 2016. The Huskies scored the last 12 points of the second quarter on three pointers as Poisson started the three barrage, followed by back-to-back three-pointers by Voigt and one from Woods. NIU also outrebounded the Braves, 19-6, in the quarter.
"Our starters got us off to a great start [in the first quarter]," Carlsen said. "Then when we started to get into our [sub] rotation, our second group didn't start off well. We started off the second quarter with the starters again getting the job done, and in that quarter when the next group went in, they adjusted and you saw what they did. I'm proud they made the adjustment, we have to work to get them to play that way early, but we have a lot of young players in that group, including Abby [Woollacott] today, who was in a game for the first time."
Woollacott added seven rebounds in her 17 minutes of action, while
Renee Sladek pulled down nine boards to tie her season high.
NIU built on its 36-20 halftime lead in the third quarter, outscoring Bradley 27-15. A 14-2 run by NIU from the 6:19 mark until Lehman hit Voigt to complete her triple double put the game out of reach for the Braves as the Huskies were able to get every active player into the game.
"I think it's key for us to be able to get everyone those minutes," Carlsen said. "You don't know how many opportunities you are going to have to play the entire bench and game minutes are really valuable."
NIU will take next week off to concentrate on final exams and return to action on Sunday, December 11 with a game at Iowa State.
-- NIU --
