DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team could not stop the hot shooting of the Southern Illinois Salukis Friday night at the NIU Convocation Center, falling 80-61 in the championship game of the Compass Challenge presented by Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Sycamore.
 
SIU (8-3) shot 49.3 percent from the field Friday night, including going 10-for-13 in the fourth quarter. NIU rebounded from a 27-percent shooting first half to shoot 38.2 percent for the game. Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) led the Huskies with a season-high 13 points, adding three assists and three steals. One night after becoming NIU's all-time leader in three-pointers made, Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) scored 11 points and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
NIU (4-6) struggled on offense early, making just one of its first nine field goal attempts as the Salukis built an 18-5 lead with 2:38 to play in the opening quarter. The Huskies closed the gap to eight at the 2:02 mark with a Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) layup and a Mikayla Brandon (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) three-pointer that made the score 18-10. SIU then scored the last seven points of the quarter to take a 25-10 lead. The Salukis shot 44 percent from the field in the second quarter to build a 25-point lead before Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School) scored the final five points of the first half for NIU to make the score 42-22 at halftime.
 
The Huskies chipped away at SIU's lead to start the third quarter. NIU went on a 13-5 run over the first 4:46 of the period to get within 12, 47-35. Woods and Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) combined for three three-pointers and 11 points over that stretch. NIU got as close as 11 with 0:43 left in the third with a Starks steal and score capping a 7-2 run that made the score 53-42. The Huskies held SIU to one field goal over the final 3:43 as the Salukis took a 55-42 lead into the fourth.
 
"It was a rough first half of basketball for us," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I think a lot of that you have to credit to Southern for taking us out of rhythm. They were the tougher team. We came out of the locker room in the third quarter and showed a little bit more intensity and heart and I think that's good. Hopefully we can learn from that because obviously we can't put ourselves in that kind of hole in the first half against anybody, but especially against a team as good as SIU."
NIU got as close as 10 early in the fourth quarter as an Ally May (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) three-point play made the score 55-45. However, the Salukis made their first eight shots from the field in the final quarter to take a 74-51 lead with 4:57 to play.
 
SIU outrebounded NIU 44-29 and scored 42 points in the paint to NIU's 28. Makenzie Silvey led the Salukis with 14 points as Gabby Walker added 12 points off the bench.
 
The Huskies wrap up their current three-game homestand on Sunday, December 29 when the Drake Bulldogs come to the Convocation Center. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. Tickets for all remaining home games, including flex passes, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
--NIU--
 
Compass Challenge All-Tournament Team
Makenzie Silvey, SIU (MVP)
Kristen Nelson, SIU
Courtney Woods, NIU
Evan Zara, Western Illinois
Abby Wahl, Eastern Illinois