DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team made a late 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to get within four points of the Kent State Golden Flashes Wednesday night at the NIU Convocation Center, but did not get any closer in a 79-71 loss.
 
"Anytime you turn the ball over 24 times you just put your team in a tough position, especially playing from behind," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I will say, I loved the fight and resiliency that we showed down the stretch and giving ourselves a chance when it seemed like maybe we wouldn't have a chance. I think that's something we can build on."
 
NIU (4-11, 0-4 MAC) trailed by as much as 18 before starting their comeback in the fourth quarter. The Huskies closed within 12 at the 5:17 mark when a Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) hit a three-pointer to cap a stretch of six straight points that made the score 68-56 Kent State. The Golden Flashes extended their lead with a Hannah Young three and Asiah Dingle layup to go up 73-56 with 4:15 left in the game.
 
Dingle's layup would be Kent State's last field goal of the game. NIU went on a 15-2 run, including 11 straight points, to get within four 75-71 with 0:53 left in the game. Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) scored seven points in that stretch including the three-pointer that got the Huskies within four. NIU missed two shots down the stretch and were forced to foul to save time on the clock. Kent State went 4-for-6 from the foul line in the final 25 seconds to come away with the 79-71 win.
 
"We had to do something to speed them up and increase possessions down the stretch," Carlsen said. "I thought our aggressiveness, really at all five spots, was critical. We did a great job of closing traps and being aggressive out of it."
 
Kent State (9-6, 2-2 MAC) opened the game 7-for-9 from the field to take a 16-4 lead with 5:15 to go in the first quarter. NIU got back in the game behind three straight triples from Koker and Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) as part of an 11-2 run over 2:08 to get the Huskies within three, 18-15. After trailing 22-17 after the first quarter, NIU's defense stepped up to get the Huskies back in the game.
 
NIU held Kent State without a field goal for the first 5:18 of the second quarter. During that stretch, Woods and A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) combined to go on a 10-2 run for the Huskies that gave NIU its first lead of the game, 27-24, with 6:22 to go in the first half. Kent State went on a 10-2 run of its own, getting threes from Clare Kelly and Annie Pavlansky to go ahead 34-29 with 2:47 to go until halftime. A pair of free throws from Woods got NIU within three but Kent State closed the half on an 8-0 run to take a 42-31 lead.
 
Kent State shot 45.5 percent from the field with NIU shooting 42 percent. The Huskies made a season-high 20 free throws in 26 attempts. The Golden Flashes scored 33 points of 24 NIU turnovers, with the Huskies scoring 18 points off 15 Kent State miscues. Woods led all scorers with 25 points, eclipsing 1,900 points for her career. Koker tied a season-high with 17 points. Blackwell came up one rebound shy of her first career double-double with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Dingle led Kent State with 20 points and Nila Blackford added 19 points.
 
NIU goes on the road Saturday, January 18 to face Akron. Tip-off is at 3:30 pm with the game being broadcast on ESPN3.
 
--NIU--