DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team erased a 20-point second half deficit to defeat the Bowling Green Falcons 79-78 Wednesday night at the NIU Convocation Center.
It's the largest deficit the Huskies have erased since coming back from down 22 points in the Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinals on March 8, 2017 to defeat Ohio 72-71.
"What a tale of two halves," said head coach
Lisa Carlsen following NIU's seventh win in its last eight games. "This group really showed what we talk about all the time as far as staying in the moment and losing yourself in the details of each possession. That was the only thing that gave us a chance in the second half. A lot of people stepped up in in different situations and did their job. It was obviously fun to be a part of and I'm really proud of this group."
Sophomore guard
Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) scored all of her team-leading 15 points in the second half and added a game-high five assists.
Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the second half with three three-pointers, finishing the night with 14 points.
Mikayla Brandon (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) and
Errin Hodges (Pontiac, Ill./Evansville Central [Ind.]) both had 12 points.
Bowling Green (13-4, 9-3 MAC) led by 17 points at halftime and took a 20-point lead early in the third when a Kadie Hempfling three put the Falcons up 45-25. Down 54-37 with 4:21 to play in the quarter, NIU went on a 15-1 run over the next 3:57 to get within three 55-52. Poisson sparked the run with a three and Koker scored five straight points at one point. The Huskies were 5-for-7 from the field in that stretch and made four of five free throws, holding Bowling Green to 0-for-4 and four turnovers. Angela Perry put in a layup at the end of the quarter to put the Falcons up 57-52 but the momentum had swung to the Huskies.
"We were really just locked in," Poisson said about the run that got NIU back in the game. "It wasn't like 'we're coming back, we're coming back', it was like we were already there. Once we got there, the energy picked up even more."
NIU (9-6, 7-3 MAC) took its first lead of the game with 7:02 to play in the fourth as a Koker layup capped a 9-2 Huskies run to give them a 61-59 lead. Bowling Green took back the lead at the 6:22 mark when an Elissa Brett three put the Falcons up 64-61. The Huskies responded with a Brandon jumper and Hodges three-point play to take a 66-64 lead with 4:35 to go. After the Falcons tied the game at 66, NIU went on a 9-2 run behind three triples from Poisson and Koker to take a 75-68 lead with 2:01 to play.
The Falcons had one last run in them. NIU led 79-73 with 0:30 to go when Hempfling put in a three to cut the Huskies' lead in half. On the ensuing possession Bowling Green forced a jump ball that gave it the ball on the alternating possession. NIU forced a missed shot on the Falcons' possession, but were called for an intentional foul on its next possession giving Bowling Green two free throws and the ball with 0:02 left. Lexi Fleming made both free throws to make the score 79-78. Kenzie Lewis had a chance to win the game but her layup did not go down as NIU completed the comeback.
"We know we have enough firepower to overcome our struggles and that showed tonight," Carlsen said. "Lately we've shown that we are good enough defensively to string stops together and those are the situations that gave this group enough confidence in the second half to know that we could still get ourselves back in it."
Bowling Green shot 69 percent in the field in the first quarter with six threes to take a 25-7 lead and led 42-25 at halftime. Despite shooting just 2-for-10 from the field to start the game, NIU finished the game at 50.9 percent and shot 77 percent at the free throw line. The Huskies also outrebounded the Falcons 35-26. Fleming led all scorers with 22 points.
NIU is next in action on Monday, Feb. 8 when it travels to Ball State for a 1 p.m. matchup with the Cardinals.
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