TOLEDO, Ohio - After a hot start that led to a 17-point edge in the second quarter, the NIU women's basketball team (12-4, 5-0 MAC) grinded out its first victory at Toledo (12-4, 3-2 MAC) since 2007 with a 77-73 triumph to improve its undefeated Mid-American Conference record to 5-0. The Huskies 12-4 record is their best start since the 1993-94 season.

Led by Courtney Woods' and Ally Lehman's 41 combined points, the Huskies put five scorers in double figures while it outrebounded the Rockets, 45-33, and held them below 40-percent from the field in the win. Woods' 21 points led the Huskies as she reached the mark for the seventh time this season while Lehman added 12 rebounds with her 20-point night to record her 11th double-double of 2016-17 and the 30th of her career. As a team, NIU shot 27-for-55 from the field (.491).

In front of a pro-Rocket crowd of 3,758, the Huskies stepped into the unforgiving Savage Arena with unwavering confidence and spirit as they opened the contest on a 7-0 run and closed the opening period with a 21-13 lead. Renee Sladek scored six of her 10 points on the night in the quarter.

After going 8-of-18 from the field in the quarter, NIU attacked the basket in the second period where it drew eight fouls and 15 trips to the free throw line, keeping Toledo's leading scorer Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott on the bench in first half.

Woods added 10 points in the frame with two three-pointers to close the half with 17 points. Her two free throws with three minutes left gave Northern Illinois its biggest lead of the game at 17 points, 39-22. However, an 11-1 run by the Rockets closed the gap to seven at halftime, 40-33.

After the break, Toledo opened the third quarter firing on all cylinders as the crowd rallied the players to close the gap to two possessions six times. Lehman called Toledo's hand each time, however, as she finished with 10 points in the quarter to give NIU a six-point lead entering the final period, 64-58.

The Rockets tied the game, 64-64, with 7:54 left and did so two more times in the final period but failed to launch themselves past the Huskies each time. Though the game was nip and tuck the entire second half, Northern Illinois University never trailed Toledo in the contest. 

NIU's defense forced three defensive stops in the between the first tie and the second with 5:01 remaining before answering with three points the hard way as Cassidy Glenn was fouled during a made layup to earn and make a free throw attempt and dissolve the Rockets momentum. Glenn's final basket with 3:07 left put NIU back on top for good, opening the door for the Huskies first 5-0 start in conference play since 1993-94.

Glenn finished with 11 points and eight rebounds while Mikayla Voigt added 10 points, seven rebounds and tied her career-high in assists with six.

Northern Illinois University will begin a three-game homestand this week, starting against Akron on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m., for Education Day.