DEKALB, Ill. -- A three-point attempt just before the buzzer came up just short as the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team fell to Central Michigan, 81-78, on Wednesday night at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
Junior Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's Anglican School) scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, her third double-double of the season, while senior Kelly Smith (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) added 21 points. Junior Mikayla Voigt (Slinger, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) chipped in 15 points.
 
"Obviously, we are not happy with the outcome, you don't play the game at this level for moral victories but that is a really good Central Michigan team that we took to the wire," said NIU head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I think we will go back and look at the film and be pretty happy with a lot of possessions. Our margin for error isn't very much when you play a team that good, a few turnovers here or there, a few second-chance opportunities that they had were the difference in the ballgame."
 
NIU shot 50 percent (31-of-62) from the field for the contest, including 50 percent (8-of-16) from three-point range but Central Michigan took advantage of 16 offensive rebounds for 22 second chance points.
 
Central Michigan (14-3, 6-0 MAC) used an 8-3 burst at the end of the third quarter to open the fourth with a six-point lead, 62-56.
 
NIU immediately answered at the beginning of the fourth with the first six points to bring the game back even.
 
With the score still tied at 65, the Chippewas made a trio of free throws and a layup to take a five-point lead just before the midway point of the quarter. The Huskies clawed back within a pair but Central Michigan continued to have an answer, growing the lead back to a half-dozen on a triple with 1:32 left.
 
Baskets by Woods and Smith cut the CMU lead back to just two with 20 seconds to play but the Chippewas hit three-of-four free throws to lead by three, 81-78, with 5.4 seconds left.
 
Out of a timeout, NIU got a look at a corner triple that came up short, the Huskies grabbed the offensive rebound but couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer as Central Michigan escaped with a three-point win.
 
Micaela Kelly scored 22 points to pace the Chippewas, Reyna Frost added 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Tinara Moore scored 18 and Presley Hudson chipped in 14 points.
 
Early on, with the Huskies in front by a pair, Voigt knocked down a triple to give NIU a five-point advantage, 17-12, with 2:40 to play in the first quarter. The Huskies and Chippewas traded baskets in close the opening 10 minutes as NIU took a 19-14 lead in the second.
 
Central Michigan scored 10 of the first 12 to open the second quarter as they pulled in front by three. The Chippewas lead was one entering the final minute before the intermission when a pair of triples by Woods, sandwiched around a basket by CMU, gave NIU a three-point lead, 37-34, at the break.
 
After Central Michigan scored the first five points of the third quarter to go back in front, NIU answered with back-to-back triples from Woods and sophomore Ally May (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) as the Huskies went back in front, 43-39, with 6:43 remaining in the quarter.
 
Central Michigan scored the next five to regain the lead and the Chippewas used an 8-3 burst to close the quarter to take a 62-56 lead into the final 10 minutes.
 
NIU will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 20, when the Huskies host Eastern Michigan. Game time against the Eagles is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
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