MOUNT PLEASANT, MI – Redshirt-Senior forward
Courtney Woods (Brisbane, Australia/St. Margaret's) became the third 2,000-point scorer in Northern Illinois University women's basketball history Wednesday night as the Huskies fell 66-60 to the Central Michigan Chippewas at McGuirk Arena.
Woods is the first Huskie to reach 2,000 career points since
Carol Owens reached the mark during the 1989-90 season. She reached that mark with a layup with 3:45 to go in the first quarter. Woods led NIU with 18 points and 10 rebounds, her first double-double since March 5, 2018. She now has 2,016 career points.
Gabby Nikitinaite (Orpington, Kent, UK/Coopers School) added 17 points and eight rebounds as
Myia Starks (Plainfield, Ill./Nequa Valley) had 10 points and seven boards.
Central Michigan (17-4, 10-0 MAC) opened the game on a 10-4 run sparked by back-to-back threes from Maddy Watters. The Huskies closed the deficit to two, 10-8, with 3:13 to go in the first quarter on consecutive layups from Woods for career points 2,000 and 2,002. The Chippewas then scored the next 13 points, getting seven straight from Kyra Bussell to take a 23-8 lead with 0:25 to go in the first.
Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) knocked down a three at the end of the quarter to make the score 23-11.
NIU (6-14, 2-7 MAC) got back in the game in the second quarter. An 11-0 run capped off by a Woods three-pointer got the Huskies within four, 26-22, at the 3:51 mark. After starting 1-for-11 from the field in the period, Central Michigan got a jumper from Bussell to go back up by six 28-22. NIU responded with back-to-back baskets from
Mikayla Brandon (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) to close within two, 28-26, with 2:23 left in the half. The Chippewas closed the half on a 7-0 run with a Gabrielle Bird three putting Central Michigan ahead 35-26 at the break.
The Huskies opened the third quarter on a 10-2 run over the first 2:58 as threes by Nikitinaite and Woods made the score 37-36. With the score 39-38, Central Michigan went on a 10-0 run capped by a Micaela Kelly triple to take a 49-38 lead with 3:14 left in the quarter. NIU shut down the Chippewas for the remainder of the quarter, getting within seven 49-42 on a pair of Woods free throws and a
Ninni Salmi (Kauhajoki, Finland/San Francisco) layup.
"We had some success in terms of pushing the ball and finding open shots in transition," said head coach
Lisa Carlsen. "The only way we could do that was to get stops defensively and that was critical."
NIU kept the Chippewas scoreless for the first 4:17 of the fourth quarter, going on a 6-0 run to get within one point once again, 49-48. Central Michigan answered with a 6-0 run of its own to take a 55-48 lead with 4:16 to play in the game. The Huskies got as close as four as Nikitinaite score seven straight NIU points to make the score 61-57 with 1:13 to go. However, Watters made her third three of the game with 0:40 to put the Chippewas up by seven and put the game away.
"We did a good job, especially in the second half, of making Central Michigan have to work on the offensive end," Carlsen said. "We had opportunities to capitalize on stops but we didn't take advantage of them."
Central Michigan shot 37.3 percent in the game but was 9-for-39 from the three-point line. NIU shot 34.3 percent from the field and outrebounded the Chippewas 52-40. Bussell led all scorers with 19 points.
NIU is back on the road Saturday, February 8 to take on the Bowling Green Falcons. Tip-off at the Stroh Center is at 12 p.m. CT.
--NIU--
