DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team held an opponent under 60 points for the third time this season Wednesday night, earning a 65-59 win over the Eastern Michigan Eagles at the NIU Convocation Center to snap a three-game losing streak.
 
"It's always good to get the win and at home as well," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "It wasn't the prettiest basketball to say the least but I was proud of the way we found a way to get it done."
 
Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) led NIU with 15 points, a season-high six assists, and three steals. Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School) had 11 points off the bench, going 3-for-5 from the three-point line. Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) had 10 points to give her 12 straight games in double-figure scoring. Freshman A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) led the Huskies with seven rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
 
NIU (9-17, 5-10 MAC) trailed 4-2 3:00 into the game, but went on a 10-2 run over the next 2:50 to take a 12-6 lead as a pair of Nikitinaite threes bookended that scoring stretch for the Huskies. Eastern Michigan got as close as four when a Corrione Cardwell jumper made the score 14-10 with 2:21 left in the first quarter. NIU closed the quarter on a 7-2 run as a Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) jumper put NIU ahead 21-12 at the end of the opening quarter, capping a first 10 minutes that saw the Huskies shoot 63.6 percent from the field.
 
"Gabby's first couple shots in the quarter were a huge boost for us," Carlsen said. "To see the ball go through the basket lets everybody relax a bit and I thought she was able to do that for us."
 
"Coach emphasizes in the locker room every game that we go out and start strong in the first quarter," added Nikitinaite. "I felt we did a good job doing it."
 
The Huskies held Eastern Michigan (13-13, 8-7 MAC) to just one field goal in the second quarter, something NIU did to the Eagles the last time they came to the NIU Convocation Center on February 27, 2019. However, Eastern Michigan was able to make 8-of-12 free throw attempts to outscore NIU 10-7 in the quarter. NIU was just 3-for-14 from the field in the second to take a 28-22 halftime advantage.
 
NIU's offense came alive in the third quarter. The Huskies got three-pointers from Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) and Ninni Salmi (Kauhajoki, Finland/San Francisco) to open the third on an 8-3 run to go up 36-25 with 8:14 to go. Eastern Michigan chipped away at the Huskies' lead, using a 6-0 run sparked by back-to-back Areanna Combs layups to make the score 41-37 with 4:43 left in the third. Nikitinaite had the quick response with her third three of the game as NIU rattled off six straight points to back up 10, 47-37, at the 3:07 mark.
 
Eastern Michigan had one big run starting the fourth quarter. Combs scored the first six points of an 11-4 run that got the Eagles within three, 54-51, with 4:06 to play. After trading baskets, Hunter knocked down a three with 2:02 remaining and added a free throw 41 seconds later to put the Huskies back up by seven, 60-53, with 1:21 to go. The Eagles got as close as four points with 0:30 left, but Starks and Koker were 5-for-6 at the foul line in the final seconds to preserve the NIU win.
 
The Huskies held Eastern Michigan to 33.3 percent from the field, their second-lowest field goal percentage allowed this season. NIU shot 39.2 percent Wednesday night and was 10-for-23 from the three-point arc. Eastern Michigan outrebounded NIU 46-40 and forced 23 turnovers. Combs led all scorers with 29 points.
 
NIU is on the road Saturday, February 29 to take on Western Michigan. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. CT.
 
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