DeKALB, IL – After a wild 86-84 overtime win over Miami Wednesday night, the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team hosts the Western Michigan Broncos for its Play4Kay game supported by Northwestern Medicine. Game time is 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3 as well as WSQR 92.9 FM/1180 AM.
NIU Athletics will be selling Play4Kay t-shirts for a suggested donation of $10 at the marketing table and will also be taking general donations. The Huskies will be wearing their pink-accented jerseys Saturday just as they did Wednesday night. Tickets are available now online at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).
Throughout the month of February NIU women's basketball is participating in the Play4Kay Free Throw Challenge to benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Those willing to participate can log on to
https://pledgeit.org/northernillinois-play4kay and make a pledge per free throw or a one-time donation. So far through four games this month, NIU has made 39 free throws.
NIU (8-14, 4-7 MAC) rallied from a five-point deficit late in the fourth quarter Wednesday night to force overtime against Miami and eventually win 86-84 on a
Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) jumper with 1.6 seconds left. NIU overcame an 18-point first quarter deficit Wednesday night, it's largest comeback this season. It was the Huskies' fourth overtime game of the season, the most for NIU in any season. Seven other teams in the country have gone to overtime four times this season but NIU is the only one to win all four.
NIU is 3-1 so far in February after going 1-6 in January. The Huskies are averaging 75.5 points per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field. The starting backcourt of Woods,
Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School), and
Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) combined is averaging 48.3 points and 7.5 assists per game this month. In four February games, NIU has outrebounded its opposition by 7.8 rebounds per game.
Nikitinaite had her fourth consecutive double-figure scoring effort Wednesday night against Miami. The junior guard was 7-for-9 from the field, and 4-of-5 from the three-point arc, to score a season-high 19 points in NIU's overtime win over Miami. She also had the assists on
Ally May's (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) layup that forced overtime and Woods' jumper that won the game. In the last four games Nikitinaite has 14 assists against seven turnovers while averaging 16.8 points per game. NIU is 6-3 this season when Nikitinaite scores in double-figures.
Western Michigan (12-10, 5-6 MAC) snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 74-62 win at Buffalo. Jordan Walker led the Broncos with 18 points as Breanna Mobley had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Mobley leads the MAC in rebounding with 10.9 boards per game and averages 14 points per game. Walker leads Western Michigan in scoring at 15.5 points per game, eighth-best in the MAC.
Following Saturday's game, NIU goes on the road to take on Ball State on Wednesday, February 19 at 6 p.m. CT.
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