DeKALB, IL - The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team was stifled by the Toledo Rockets' Mid-American Conference-leading defense Saturday afternoon in a 73-52 loss at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
"Toledo showed why they're the top defensive team in the league," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I thought they did a nice job of making things difficult for us on the offensive end. A'Jah [Davis] was able to go to work which was good, especially in the second half, but unfortunately we couldn't dig out of the hole we were in."
 
Junior forward A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) led all players in the game with 24 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth consecutive double-double. Davis made 11-of-22 shots from the field in the game. Errin Hodges (Pontiac, Ill./Evansville Central [Ind.]) had eight points and seven rebounds with two steals.
 
NIU (4-8, 1-3 MAC) and Toledo traded runs to start the game. The Huskies answered an 8-2 Rockets run with five straight points capped by a pair of Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) free throws that gave the home team a 9-8 lead with 4:45 left in the opening quarter. Toledo's Quinesha Lockett scored seven straight points to spark a 15-2 run to close the quarter and put the Rockets up 23-11. The Rockets shot over 58 percent from the field in the first while holding NIU to 4-for-14 from the field and without a three-point attempt.
 
Toledo (12-3, 6-0 MAC) grew its lead to 17 on back-to-back layups from Lockett and Lexi Lance, going up 32-15 at the 6:05 mark of the second quarter. The Huskies got as close as 15 twice on baskets by Davis and Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran), but the Rockets outscored NIU 18-12 in the second to take a 41-23 lead. Davis scored eight of NIU's 14 points in the third quarter and made four of her five field goal attempts. Toledo grew its lead to 28 in taking a 59-31 lead late in the quarter. NIU closed the third on a a 6-0 run, which extended into a 13-3 run in the fourth. A Koker three-point play and a Hodges layup capped the scoring spurt that got NIU within 18, 62-44, with 7:41 to play in the game. That would be as close as the Huskies would get.
 
NIU shot 35 percent from the field and outrebounded Toledo 45-42. Toledo shot 40 percent and forced 22 turnovers, turning those into 30 points. Lockett led the Rockets with 23 points and eight rebounds.
 
The Huskies go on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 19 to take on the Miami RedHawks. Tip-off at Millett Hall is set for 6 p.m. CT.
 
--NIU--