DEKALB, Ill. – Senior Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) led the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team with 38 points and 12 rebounds Thursday night as the Huskies earned an 89-80 win over the Yale Bulldogs in the first round of the Preseason WNIT at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
"We beat a very good Yale team and I'm really proud of some things we did, especially in the second half when we were down and had to claw our way back into it," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I thought it was a great team effort."
 
Woods was one point shy of tying her career-high of 39 set twice in the 2017-18 season. Her six three-pointers were also one shy of tying a career-high. The senior was a perfect 14-of-14 at the free throw line while playing 34 minutes. Mikayla Voigt (Slinger, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) had 17 points for NIU, 10 of which came in the second half. Myia Starks (Oswego, Ill./Nequa Valley) was the third Huskie in double-figure scoring with 13 points and a game-high eight assists.
 
"It's really great to open the year with a win, especially against such a good team," said Woods following Thursday's victory. "We've been playing against each other for so long, it's good to get out and see how good we are. We're excited to get back at it and play again soon."
 
NIU (1-0) got out to a 10-6 lead with 6:29 to play in the first, with Woods scoring eight of the 10 with two three-pointers. Yale then went on a 9-2 run over the next 2:36 as a Roxy Barahman three put the Bulldogs up 15-12. The Huskies responded with a 7-2 run, capped by a Starks jumper, to take a 17-15 lead at the 1:46 mark. However, the Bulldogs outscored NIU 6-2 to end the quarter and take a 21-19 lead.
 
After trading baskets to start the second quarter, Yale (1-1) took a 32-27 lead with 6:10 to play after back-to-back baskets by Camilla Emsbo. NIU got within three with 5:29 to play when a pair of Woods jumpers made the score 34-31. Yale then went on a 10-2 run over the next 3:51, capped by a Baharman three-point play, to take their largest lead of the game 44-33 with 1:38 left until halftime. NIU closed to within three with an 8-0 run, but a Megan Gorman triple at the end of the quarter gave Yale a 47-41 halftime lead.
 
The Bulldogs controlled much of the third quarter, extending its lead back to 11, 63-52, with 3:22 to play. That's when NIU started to rally back. Woods started the comeback with a pair of three-pointers to cut the deficit to five, 63-58, with 2:22 to play which prompted a Yale timeout. Erinn Hodges (Evansville, Ind./Central) then scored a basket and a free throw to get NIU within one at the 1:06 mark. Voigt then put NIU back in front with 36 seconds remaining with a three from the right wing that gave the Huskies a 64-63 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
"It felt really good," said Voigt about her go-ahead three. "I think it was a team effort and a lot of energy to get back in the game. It really showed us that it was our time to take over the game and never look back, and that was the mentality shift we had when that shot went in."
 
Both teams put the clamps on, defensively, in the fourth quarter. After Yale cut the deficit to one, 66-65, on a pair of Tori Andrew foul shots, Hodges converted a three-point play with 6:44 to play to put NIU ahead by four 69-65. Yale then scored five straight points to take a 70-69 lead on an Ellen Margaret Andrews three-pointer. Woods answered with a three of her own, but Yale got another three from Megan Gorman to take a 73-72 lead with 5:14 left. The Bulldogs led 77-76 with 2:50 to play when Woods' sixth triple of the game put NIU in front for good, 79-77. The Huskies made their free throws down the stretch, going 8-8 in the final 2:20 for the 89-81 win. NIU held Yale without a field goal for the final 3:42 of the game.
 
"We changed things up defensively, and maybe got them a little bit out of their comfort zone," Carlsen said about NIU's second-half comeback. "They missed some shots and we were able to rebound, get out, and go. I think that was the stretch, when we changed defenses, that really gave us a jolt and ignited our offense in transition."
 
NIU shot 33.3% from the field and three-point line, and made 29 of 30 free throws. Yale shot 40.8% from the field but had 15 turnovers. The Huskies outrebounded Yale 48-42, led by Woods' 12 rebounds and 10 from Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) that tied a career-high. Barahman led Yale with 29 points as Emsbo added 21 points and 13 rebounds.
 
The Huskies will take on the winner of the Iowa State/Niagara game in the second round of the Preseason WNIT on Sunday.
 
--NIU--