DeKALB, IL – For the second straight game, the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team overcame a five-point deficit late in regulation to force overtime and win with an 86-84 victory against the Miami RedHawks Wednesday night at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
"That was 45 minutes of just finding a way to get it done," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "This team has shown that they understand that and have obviously had some success in overtime this year. We've had great situations where kids have made plays and it showed again tonight. We found each other, knocked down shots that are pressure shots, and made the plays needed."
 
NIU (8-14, 4-7 MAC) trailed 74-69 with 1:05 left in regulation after an Abbey Hoff three-pointer put the RedHawks up five. Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) then made back-to-back jumpers to get the Huskies within one, 74-73, with 10 seconds left. The Huskies fouled Kenzie Schmitz to save time on the clock. Schmitz split a pair of free throws to make it a two-point game. NIU tied the game on its next possession as a driving Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School) found an open Ally May (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) under the basket for the layup that tied the game at 75 and forced overtime.
 
The Huskies opened overtime on an 8-3 run, taking an 83-78 lead on a May jumper with 2:02 to go in the extra session. Miami responded with a 6-1 run over the next 1:33 as a Savannah Kluesner three tied the game at 84 with 29 seconds left in overtime. NIU held for the last shot, which ended up being two shots. May missed a corner three, which led to a Nikitinaite offensive rebound. The junior guard then found an open Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) for a jumper that gave NIU an 86-84 lead with five seconds left. The Huskies then forced a turnover on Miami's last possession as Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) deflected an in-bound pass that Starks stole to run out the clock.
 
"We're playing a lot better collectively and put a really big emphasis on getting in the gym and getting better at doing your job," said Woods, who finished the game with a team-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. "That makes it a lot easier for the team. We're not doing anything different offensively. We've just all put in the work to get better."
 
Miami (11-13, 4-8) used a 22-2 run in the first quarter to lead 24-6 with 1:09 to go. The Huskies scored the last five points of the quarter on a Starks three-point play and a Woods jumper to get within 13, 24-11. NIU's defense came alive in the second quarter, holding the RedHawks to eight points on 4-for-17 shooting from the field. Sparked by six straight points from A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]), NIU went on a 15-2 run over 4:37 to take a 31-30 lead. However, Miami got a layup from Tihanna Fulton with 1:19 to play in the second to take a 32-31 halftime lead.  
 
The Huskies started the third quarter making five of their first six shots from the field. May capped an 11-4 NIU run to start the period with a layup at the 5:37 mark and put the home team up 42-36. The lead grew to 11 when Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) scored seven straight points to make the score 51-40 with 2:48 left in the third. The RedHawks then scored the last eight points of the third to make it a 51-48 game heading into the fourth.
 
NIU's 18-point comeback was its largest since bouncing back from 22 down against Ohio in the 2017 MAC Tournament to win 72-71. Woods was one of five Huskies in double-figure scoring Wednesday night. Nikitinaite was 7-for-9 from the field with four threes for 19 points and added six boards. Starks had 14 points with Koker adding 12 off the bench and May chipping in 11.
 
The Huskies shot 46.8 percent from the field, holding Miami to 38.8 percent and 6-for-26 from the three-point arc. NIU outrebounded Miami 50-44, marking the sixth straight game the Huskies have outrebounded their opponent. Kluesner led all players with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
 
NIU hosts Western Michigan Saturday at 1 p.m. for the Play4Kay game.
 
--NIU--