DEKALB, Ill. – Mikayla Voigt's (Slinger, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) layup with 4.4 seconds left in regulation proved to be the game-winner as the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team defeated the Western Michigan Broncos 70-69 at the NIU Convocation Center in the first round of the 2019 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
 
"I think you saw two really good teams tonight with a lot on the line, what you would expect in tournament play," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "It was a possession-for-possession ballgame. We were lucky enough to come out on top and we're excited to be able to advance. As long as you come out on top this time of year, that's most important."
 
NIU (19-12) led by five early in the fourth quarter, when back-to-back Ally May (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) buckets gave the Huskies a 55-50 lead. Western Michigan battled back to tie the game at 58 on a pair of Leighah-Amori Wool free throws with 5:23 to play. The two teams traded baskets until the Broncos got a Jasmyn Walker layup and a Wool triple to go ahead 63-60 at the 4:11 mark. The Huskies then went on a 6-0 run over the next 1:27, with a Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School) jumper giving NIU a 66-63 lead with 2:12 to play.
 
Sparked by a Wool jumper, Western Michigan (10-20) went on a 6-2 run to take a 69-68 lead with 1:06 to go. After forcing a shot clock violation with 7.7 seconds left, NIU had the ball with a chance to go ahead. Nikitinaite lobbed the inbounds pass to a cutting Voigt who scored with 4.4 seconds remaining to take a 70-69 lead. The Broncos had one last chance to take the lead when Wool was fouled on a rebound with 0.6 seconds left with Western Michigan in the bonus. The forward missed both foul shots and NIU grabbed the final rebound to secure the trip to Cleveland for the quarterfinals.
 
"You're riding an emotional roller coaster, but you have to understand that you may get another shot if they put time back on the clock," Carlsen said about the final few seconds. "We need to move on, regardless of what the call was. I think this team understands that and does a good job of not letting the moment get too big."
 
"We always have a next play mentality," added Voigt. "We have to control what we can control. We had to move on to the next play and get the last rebound."
 
NIU (19-12) started off the game making four of its first five shots from the field to take an 11-4 lead at the 7:05 mark of the first quarter. Western Michigan responded with six straight points, as back-to-back Wool layups made the score 11-10 with 5:07 left in the quarter. The Huskes grew the lead back to six when a Nikitinaite three and a jumper from Starks put NIU up 16-10 at the 4:49 mark. NIU shot 58.3 percent from the field in the first quarter to take a 19-15 lead.
 
Starks scored NIU's first five points of the second quarter, making a pair of free throws with 7:30 left in the period to give the Huskies a 24-18 lead. The Broncos used an 8-1 run over 1:47 to take their first lead of the game, 26-25, with 5:00 left in the second. NIU closed the quarter on an 11-3 run, holding Western Michigan without a field for the final 3:18 to take a 38-29 halftime lead. Errin Hodges (Pontiac, Ill./Evansville Central [Ind.]) had four points in the run as Nikitinaite added a three as well.

Western Michigan opened the third quarter on 13-4 run, capped by a pair of Kamrin Reed free throws, to tie the game at 42 with 3:57 to play. NIU then scored nine of the next 12 points, with seven coming from Starks including a three-point play with 1:14 left in the third put the Huskies ahead 51-45. The Broncos scored the final five points of the third to get within one, 51-50.
 
"At this point, it's whatever it takes to win," Voigt said. "We want to win a championship, and that's our ultimate goal. My teammates stepped up. Deja Wimby is a tough on-ball defender and made my night difficult. I credit my teammates for stepping up and I'm glad that I had confidence in myself to get that pass from Gabby and knock it down."
 
Starks led NIU with 20 points. Nikitinaite had 17 points and three assists. May had her seventh double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. She also led NIU with four assists. Voigt had six points and six rebounds. NIU shot 47.4 percent from the field while Western Michigan shot 43.9 percent. NIU held a 35-32 edge in rebounds.
 
"We're excited to get to Cleveland," said Starks. "Last year, our season ended on our home court. It's a great opportunity to go play in Cleveland."
 
"This team has just been through so much adversity," said Voigt. "This game was just a mirror image of that. We just do whatever it takes, and at the end of the day we're going to like the outcome when we do that. At this point, all you have to do is get to Cleveland and then anything can happen. We're very excited for this opportunity."
 
NIU will take on the second-seed Ohio Bobcats in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday, March 13. The Huskies' game is the third of the day Wednesday, with play starting at 11 a.m. CT. Log on to NIUHuskies.com and follow NIU Athletics on Twitter at NIUAthletics for exact tip-off time.
 
--NIU--