MUNCIE, IN – Redshirt-Senior forward Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) moved into second place on the Northern Illinois University women's basketball career scoring chart Wednesday night in a 97-89 loss to the Ball State Cardinals at Worthen Arena.
 

Woods led NIU with 18 points and a season-high six assists. She now has 2,104 career points to pass Carol Owens (1985-90), who had 2,102 as a Huskie. Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) made five three-pointers and scored 16 points, adding a season-high seven rebounds. Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) had 13 points off the bench with A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) contributing 12 points and six boards.

Ball State (18-7, 10-3 MAC) opened the game on a 7-0 run in the first 1:11 highlighted by a Sydney Freeman three. The Cardinals grew their lead to 11 with 6:29 remaining in the opening quarter when a Blake Smith layup capped a 7-2 run that put Ball State ahead 18-7. NIU got back in the game with an 8-2 run late in the quarter as threes by Blackwell and Koker got the Huskies within six, 24-18, at the 2:18 mark. Ball State got a three from Thelma Dis Agustsdottir to go up by nine, but a Woods jumper put NIU within seven, 27-20, heading into the second quarter.
 
NIU (8-16, 4-9 MAC) got back in the game in the second behind stifling defense. The Huskies held the Cardinals without a field goal and just two points in the first 4:31 seconds of the quarter. Sparked by a pair of Ninni Salmi (Kauhajoki, Finland/San Francisco) free throws, NIU went on a 12-0 run over 3:47 to take a 32-29 lead on Koker's third three of the game at the 5:29 mark. The two sides traded baskets as a Woods three put NIU up 37-36 with 1:32 to play until halftime. Ball State scored the last five points of the half to take a 41-37 lead into halftime.
 
The Huskies got back in front early in the third quarter. NIU went on a 9-2 run behind five points from Salmi to take a 46-45 lead with 7:35 remaining. Ball State responded with a 12-2 run over the next 2:55 to go ahead 57-48. The Cardinals lead grew to 15 as back-to-back layups by Arbrie Benson and Oshlynn Brown gave Ball State a 69-54 lead heading into the fourth quarter. NIU opened the fourth on an 8-1 run behind six straight points from Blackwell to cut the deficit to eight, 70-62, with 8:40 to play in the game. The Huskies got as close as six points twice with Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) knocked down a jumper with 2:34 to go, making the score 87-81, and a Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) layup with 0:51 left to put the score at 92-86.
 
Ball State shot 51.7 percent from the field to move to 10-1 at Worthen Arena this season, as NIU shot 45.7 percent. The Cardinals forced 24 Huskie turnovers and turned them into 29 points. NIU outrebounded Ball State 39-34. Brown led all scorers with 28 points and 13 rebounds.

NIU is back in action at the NIU Convocation Center on Saturday, February 22 for "Cram The Convo". The Huskies take on Central Michigan at 1 p.m. in the first game of the doubleheader with the NIU men's basketball team taking on Central Michigan at 3:30 p.m. Prior to the women's game, NIU will honor the five seniors on this season's team – Courtney Woods, Myia Starks, Ally May, Ninni Salmi, and Abby Woollacott - for Senior Day.
 
Beginning when the doors open at noon, the first 1,250 fans attending Saturday's doubleheader will receive a NIU Basketball replica jersey, supported by Northwestern Medicine. Tickets for Saturday's doubleheader, including flex passes, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
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