DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team took the Mid-American Conference-leading Central Michigan Chippewas down to the wire Saturday afternoon, but came up short in a hard-fought 70-66 loss at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
"I felt like we had our chances against a really good Central Michigan team," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I thought we were able to keep them off balance a little on the offensive end which is critical anytime you play Central. It came down to a few possessions at the end. To be able to fight for 40 minutes is really important especially this time of year with the tournament looming. We want to be that team that nobody wants to play."
 
Prior to the game, NIU honored the five seniors on this year's squad for Senior Day – Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's), Ninni Salmi (Kauhajoki, Finland/San Francisco), Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley), Abby Woollacott (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Lutheran), and Ally May (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead). Woods led NIU with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists with 17 points in the fourth quarter alone. Starks added 10 points and five rebounds with a pair of steals.
 
NIU (8-17, 4-10 MAC) trailed by six, 59-53, going into the final quarter. Woods cut that lead in half with her first three of the game 0:53 in to make the score 59-56. Central Michigan then went on a 9-2 run on three-pointers from Kyra Bussell and Gabrielle Bird to take a 10-point lead, 58-48, with 6:12 to play. The Chippewas led 63-53 with 4:17 to go when Woods and Riley Blackwell (Plainfield, Ind./Plainfield) sparked a 10-2 run over the next 3:28 to get within two 65-63 with less than a minute to go. Woods had six of the 10 NIU points in that stretch.
 
"Coach said going into the fourth that I needed to be more aggressive," Woods said about her performance in the fourth quarter. "I tried to get my teammates more open and then at the end I think Central was a little tired so I got some more open looks in the fourth quarter."
 
However, that was as close as NIU would get. Central Michigan went 5-for-6 at the foul line in final minute to take a 70-63 lead with 24 seconds remaining.
 
Central Michigan (21-4, 14-0 MAC) and NIU traded six-point spurts to start the game. The Chippewas first four baskets were threes to take a 12-6 lead and counter three straight baskets from Woods, Starks, and A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]). The Huskies held the Chippewas to just 2-for-7 from the field in the final 3:22 of the quarter, closing to within two 16-14 on three-pointers from Blackwell and Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran).
 
The Huskies tied the game at 16 on a Starks jumper with 7:23 to play in the second quarter. Central Michigan then got five straight points from the leading scorer in the MAC, Micaela Kelly, to jumpstart a 12-4 Chippewas run that put the visitors ahead 28-20 with 4:16 left until halftime. NIU came back to score 13 of the last 18 points to tie the game at 33 going into halftime. Koker had nine of the 13 points in that run including the layup that tied the game with 0:45 left. The freshman had 12 of her 14 points in the first half.
 
NIU and Central Michigan traded baskets to start the third with a Bird three helping the Chippewas take a 40-37 lead with 5:26 to play. Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) cut the lead to one, 40-39, with a putback layup at the 3:59 mark but Central Michigan scored the next nine points as a Molly Davis triple made the score 49-39 with 0:59 left in the third. NIU got within six, 59-53, at the end of the quarter on baskets by May and Starks.
 
 
The Huskies shot 40.6 percent from the field Saturday and held Central Michigan to 39.3 percent. NIU also outrebounded the Chippewas 45-37, scoring 17 points off 16 offensive rebounds. Bussell led all scorers with 25 points and added 11 rebounds. Kelly had 14 points and a game-high seven assists.
 
NIU is back in action at the NIU Convocation Center on Wednesday, February 26 against Eastern Michigan. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. For tickets, log on to NIUHuskies.com/tickets or call 815-753-PACK (7225).

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