ATHENS, Ohio -- Northern Illinois University women's basketball team fell victim to the three-ball as the Huskies fell to Ohio, 77-75, on Wednesday night at the Ohio Convocation Center.
 
With the score tied, 75-75, with 13.3 seconds, Cierra Hooks had a steal and score to give Ohio a 77-75 lead with three seconds left in the game. Kelly Smith's (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) three-pointer at the buzzer went wide and the Huskies suffered the loss.
 
Down by eight with 1:52 left in the game, NIU went on a 9-1 run to tie the game. Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's Anglican School) tied the game, with her layup with 13 seconds left in the game.
 
Ohio (11-8, 5-3 MAC) shot 42.9 percent from three-point land, going 15-of-35 from beyond the arc. Katie Barker led all scorers with 24 points, going 8-of-13 from the field, all from three-point territory. Dominique Dosek was behind her with 14 points with all four of her field goals coming from three-point land.
 
NIU (10-9, 2-6 MAC) outshot Ohio 49.2-42.2 percent from the field. Smith and Woods led the way for the Huskies. Woods posted her fourth double-double of the season, while Smith tallied her second. Woods finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Smith finished with 18 points and 12 boards.
 
Unfortunately for NIU, the Huskies did not have an answer to Ohio's threes.
 
With NIU leading, 41-35, the Bobcats went on an 11-2 run to take a 46-43 lead over the Huskies. Ohio did a bulk of their damage during that time from beyond the arc, hitting a pair of threes. Ohio hit five three-pointers in the third and took a 58-52 lead in the fourth period.
 
The Bobcats built a 10-point lead over the Huskies with back-to-back Barker and Dosek with 7:44 left in the game. NIU closed to within three with 2:33 left in the game, but a Bobcat layup and Barker three-pointer pushed the Ohio lead to eight with 1:52 left in the game.
 
The Huskies entered the second quarter trailing, 20-16, and fell behind 22-16 with 8:47 left in the half. NIU then went on an 11-2 run to take a 27-24 advantage. After an Ohio basket pulled the Bobcats to within one with 3:06, the Huskies went on a 7-3 run to push the lead to five, 31-26 with 2:19.
 
After a Dosek three pulled the Bobcats to within two, Georgia Breunig (Sauk Prairie, Wis./Sauk Prairie) hit a three from the corner to give the Huskies a 37-32 halftime lead.
 
NIU will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 27, when the Huskies travel to Muncie, Ind. To face Ball State. Game time against the Cardinals is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT.
 
-NIU-