KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Led by Cassidy Glenn's and Mikayla Voigt's career-highs on the scoreboard, the NIU women's basketball team (7-4) finished its non-conference season victorious at UMKC (5-6) in the Roo Holiday Classic finale, 86-75. Glenn scored 26 points while Voigt added 19 as both tied career-highs. Defensively, the Huskies snatched 10 steals and blocked a season-best nine shots.

It is the second-straight season NIU has posted a winning record in non-conference play, the first time since 1992-93 and 1993-94 that the program has posted winning records in its pre-conference schedule. The Huskies were 7-4 entering MAC play last season as well.

Though NIU built six 10-point leads in the contest, the feisty Roos did not acquiesce as it closed the gap to one possession three times in the second half. 8-of-10 Huskies scored in the game and Ally Lehman also scored in double figures, registering her seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

"We were able to give our top-five, six and seven players some rest early on and I think that made the biggest difference in the fourth quarter. It wasn't prettiest ball game in the world at times but anytime you can come on someone else court and get the W, you'll take it," said Head Coach Lisa Carlsen.

The Huskies countered a very early 6-0 deficit with a 10-3 run to lead at the first media break with 4:59 left in the period, 10-9. Leading 22-19 at the end of the quarter, Northern Illinois started the second frame on a 9-0 run, capped by Glenn's first of three three-point baskets in the game, extending the lead to 11 points with 8:18 remaining in the half.

Though UMKC went on a pair of runs, it was unable to overthrow the Huskies lead despite its best effort. NIU's aggressiveness in the paint paid dividends as it drew 10 personal fouls and shot 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in the period. The Kangaroos would find themselves trailing NIU at the half, 44-36.

Glenn led all scorers with 15 points in 16 minutes of play, shooting 6-of-8 from the field, including a perfect mark behind the three-point line in two attempts. As a team, NIU was 17-of-34 from the field in the half.

UMKC was the aggressor out of the halftime locker room as it outscored Northern Illinois in the period, 22-18, thanks to its work on the defensive glass as it led the Huskies, 8-5. Glenn finished the period with seven points to improve her total to 22 in the game and to keep the Huskies on top, 62-58.

Northern Illinois University gritted out the final period as its fresher legs proved to be the definitive factor, outscoring UMKC, 24-17, to build back its double-digit lead at the end of regulation. 

The Huskies went 7-of-10 from the free-throw line in the stanza and 16-of-20 in the game, paced by Voigt's 4-for-4 clip. The sophomore has made all 23 of her attempts from the charity stripe this season.

Northern Illinois University will return to action on New Year's Eve when it takes on Eastern Michigan at the NIU Convocation in the first game of a doubleheader. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. Central.