OXFORD, OH – Led by a career-high 29 points from Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) and a double-double from Mikayla Brandon (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais), the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team won its fourth consecutive game on Saturday by a score of 87-79 over the Miami RedHawks at Millett Hall.
 
"Life on the road is never easy," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "We battled through some carelessness with the ball. Miami was really physical and we didn't handle that well at times. Down the stretch we did what we needed to do as far as getting some stops, making free throws, and obviously we're excited about getting the win."
 
Koker was 8-for-17 from the field and 10-for-12 at the free throw line to best her previous career high of 28 points scored against Ohio on Dec. 16. She also had five rebounds and three steals. Brandon posted her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Errin Hodges (Pontiac, Ill./Evansville Central [Ind.]) was the third Huskie to score in double figures, putting up 12 points with a career-high four assists.
 
NIU (6-5, 4-2 MAC) trailed 19-17 after the first quarter but took the lead at the 6:45 mark of the second when back-to-back threes from Koker and Brandon put the Huskies ahead 28-26. Sparked by back-to-back Jada Duckett layups, the RedHawks went on a 10-3 run to take a 36-31 lead at the 2:38 mark of the quarter. NIU responded with a 12-3 run to close the quarter and take a 43-39 halftime lead. Koker scored eight of the 12 points in that stretch, going 6-for-6 at the free throw line as the Huskies scored the last eight points of the half to take a lead into the break.
 
The Huskies grew the lead to eight early in the third on a pair of Koker free throws that put the score at 48-40 at the 7:12 mark. Miami (1-10, 0-7 MAC) cut the deficit to four with 6:32 to go in the quarter on a three by Abbey Hoff but Paulina Castro (Elgin, Ill./Harvest Christian) answered right back with a triple of her own to put the Huskies' lead back to seven, 52-45. NIU took its largest lead of the game with 3:55 left in the third when a Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) three-pointer put the Huskies up 10, 58-48. The RedHawks then went on a 9-3 run over 1:38 to get within three as a Peyton Scott three put the score at 62-59 with 0:24 to go. Koker put NIU up five, 64-59, on a jumper in the final seconds of the third.
 
NIU got the lead back up to 10 with 5:54 remaining in the fourth when Brandon capped a 12-5 Huskies run with back-to-back jumpers, making the score 76-66. The junior forward had seven of the 12 points in that stretch. The RedHawks had one last run in them late in the game. Scott made a jumper with 0:49 left to get Miami within eight, 82-74. Katie Davidson then knocked down a three off a steal to make the score 82-77 with 0:34 left. After Koker and Hodges both split two free throws, Scott made another basket to make the score 84-79 with 0:11 but that was as close as Miami would get.
 
The Huskies shot 42.1 percent from the field and was 10-for-20 from the three-point line. NIU made a season-high 29 free throws to Miami's 13 and held a 47-39 rebound edge.
 
"Rebounding sometimes is as contagious as shooting," Carlsen said about her team's effort on the glass during this current winning streak. "We have some players on this team who have great instincts as far as finding the basketball, and they've been able to stay consistent with that especially in the last four games."
 
Scott led all scorers with 34 points, adding eight rebounds, eight steals and seven assists.
 
NIU is back on the road Wednesday, Jan. 20 to take on the Ball State Cardinals. Tipoff at Worthen Arena is set for 6 p.m.
 
--NIU--