AKRON, OHIO – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team outscored the Akron Zips by 12 points in the second half to come away with a 76-63 win at James A. Rhodes Arena Wednesday. The win is the Huskies' fifth in the last six games.
 
"It was a little bit ugly at times, but we had a lot of people step up in different situations and give us the minutes we needed in critical times," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I was happy that a lot of people made contributions on the floor to help us get the win today."
 
Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) led NIU with 19 points, adding four rebounds and three assists. A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) had her third double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Errin Hodges (Pontiac, Ill./Evansville Central [Ind.]) nearly had a double-double as well, finishing the game with nine points and 10 boards.
 
Ahead 31-30 at halftime, NIU (7-6, 5-3 MAC) started the third quarter on a 7-2 run capped by a Mikayla Brandon (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) three and a Davis layup to go up 38-32 at the 7:33 mark. The Huskies' lead grew to nine with 3:08 to play in the third when a Koker three-pointer put NIU ahead 50-41. Akron responded with back-to-back threes from Rachel Martindale to get back within three, 50-47, at the 2:32 mark. NIU closed the quarter on a 7-0 run with all the points coming from the free throw line to take a 57-47 lead heading into the fourth.
 
The Huskies' 7-0 run to end the third quickly turned into a 13-2 run in the fourth as Koker and Paulina Castro (Elgin, Ill./Harvest Christian) each knocked down a three in the first 1:06 to make the score 63-49. NIU took its largest lead of the game with 1:55 to play when a Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) layup capped a 9-3 run that put the Huskies up 17, 74-57.
 
Akron (4-8, 1-8 MAC) opened the game on a 9-4 run in the first 4:53. The Zips led 15-9 when NIU got back-to-back three-pointers from Brandon and Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) in the final 1:30 of the opening quarter to tie the game at 15. NIU took its first lead of the game at the 9:07 mark of the second as a Davis three-point play put the Huskies up 18-17. The Huskies led 29-23 when a Jordyn Dawson layup started a 7-0 run that put Akron up 30-29 with 2:44 to go until halftime. NIU held the Zips scoreless for the remainder of the half and took a 31-30 halftime lead after a Davis layup in the final minute. Davis had nine points and seven rebounds in the first half.
 
"I liked the way she played today," Carlsen said about Davis' performance Wednesday. "She let the game come to her. She was great around the rim and rebounding the basketball, which was critical for us to get out to the lead that we did and be able to play in transition."
 
The Huskies shot 44.4 percent from the field and held Akron to 32.4 percent. NIU pulled down a season-high 57 rebounds and held a season-high plus-25 rebound margin. Martindale led Akron with 20 points.
 
The Huskies are back in action at the NIU Convocation Center on Saturday, Jan. 30 against the Miami RedHawks at 1 p.m. Although fans are unable to attend NIU basketball games this season, you can still make your presence felt in the NIU Convocation Center by purchasing a cutout as part of the "Huskie Howl" presented by First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO).
 
For just $60, fans can put their image on a cutout that will remain in place in the NIU Convocation Center for all NIU men's and women's basketball games during the 2020-21 season. Net proceeds from all fan cutouts will benefit the Huskie Athletic Fund. Click here to order your cutout.
 
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