DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team held the Harvard Crimson to 20 points in the second half, but the Huskies' rally in the fourth quarter came up short in a 59-53 loss at the NIU Convocation Center in the season opener for both teams.
"This is a team that we will expect more from offensively," said head coach
Lisa Carlsen about the Huskies after their season debut. "I thought we got some really good looks and the ball didn't go in the basket near often enough. I was really proud of them in the second half, especially as far as the resolve down the stretch and understanding time-and-score situations. That's the sign of a veteran club and we'll be able to learn from this film going forward."
Redshirt-Senior
Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) led NIU with 22 points, going 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) made a pair of three-pointers on her way to 10 points and had a team-high three assists.
Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) tied a career-high with 10 rebounds.
NIU (0-1) trailed by 16 points heading into the fourth quarter, but got a spark offensively when
Ally May (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) made a three-pointer 20 seconds in to get the Huskies within 13, 47-34. Woods then made a pair of free throws and a jumper to cap a 7-0 run and make the score 47-38 with 6:14 to go. NIU made up for shooting 26.3 percent from the field in the quarter by making free throws. The Huskies went 7-for-8 from the line over a 2:00 stretch to get the score to 52-45 with 0:56 left. NIU got as close as four points late in the game but just could not get the game tied.
Harvard (1-0) opened the game on an 8-0 run in the first 2:38 that included a pair of Lola Mullaney three-pointers. NIU closed the deficit to five at the 5:53 mark as Woods scored the Huskies' first five points to make the score 10-5. Down by 10, the Huskies went on a 9-0 run on threes from Starks and
Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) to get within one, 15-14, with 3:03 to go in the first. The Crimson extended their lead to four, 20-16 at the end of the quarter. Harvard used a 17-0 run over 4:53 in the second to take a 37-19 lead. NIU was just 3-for-16 from the field in the second quarter and fell behind 39-24 at the half.
NIU held Harvard to 20.8 percent shooting from the field and 1-for-11 from the three-point line in the second half. The Huskies made 16-of-18 free throws in the second half but shot 22.1 percent from the field for the game. NIU scored 18 points off of 19 Harvard turnovers. The Crimson held a 54-46 advantage on the glass. Mullaney led all scorers with 25 points as Jeannie Boehm added 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Huskies go on the road to face North Dakota State on Sunday, November 10 at 1 p.m.
--NIU--
