DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team was tied with the Kent State Golden Flashes 55-55 with 0:32 Wednesday morning at the NIU Convocation Center, but it was the Huskies that scored the final six points to come away with their third straight win 61-55.
 
"I don't know if I've been prouder of this team," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "I thought we did a great job of sticking together, especially late, against a really good Kent State team. We did what we needed to do, had a lot of people step up in key situations, and were able to close it out."
 
NIU (7-9, 4-4 MAC) led 53-43 with 5:08 to go in the fourth quarter after Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) made her second three-pointer of the game. Kent State rallied back with a 10-0 run over the next 3:25, tying the game at 53 on a Nila Blackford three-point play with 1:08 left in the game. Blackford scored seven of the 10 points in the run.
 
A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) put NIU back ahead with a layup, making the score 55-53 with 0:46 to go. Blackford had the answer at the other end, tying the game at 55 with 0:32 left. However, Blackford committed an intentional foul on her basket which gave NIU two free throws and the ball. Poisson split the two free throws to give the Huskies a 56-55 lead. The redshirt-senior guard was fouled on NIU's next possession and made the two bonus free throws to put the Huskies up three, 58-55, with 0:22 left. The Huskies' defense stood tall, forcing two stops and making three of four free throws to close the game out with a 61-55 win.
 
Kent State (10-7, 2-6 MAC) got out to a quick 5-2 lead to start the game, but NIU used a 10-2 run over 2:35 to take a 12-7 lead at the 4:50 mark. Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) had five points in that stretch. The Golden Flashes responded with a 9-3 run to close the quarter as threes from Lindsey Thall, Casey Santoro and Bridget Dunn put Kent State up 16-15.
 
NIU wrested the lead away with an 9-0 run to start the second quarter. A Poisson jumper punctuated the run that put the Huskies up 24-16 with 4:22 to go in the first half. The Huskies held Kent State scoreless for the first 6:27 of the quarter, but the Golden Flashes got to the free throw line enough to start a 6-0 run capped by a Dunn three to get within two at 24-22 with 2:29 left in the second. NIU finished the half strong as a Sidney McCrea (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie) three and a Brooke Stonebraker (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) layup made up a 5-1 run that gave NIU a 29-23 halftime lead.
 
The Huskies got some more breathing room in the third quarter. Poisson and Davis combined to go on a 10-2 run early in the third quarter, giving NIU a 39-29 lead with 5:05 left in the period. While NIU held Kent State in check from the field, Kent State got back in the game from the free throw line going 8-for-8 to get within four 41-37 with 0:13 left in the quarter. McCrea put NIU up seven at the end of the quarter with her second three of the game, giving the Huskies a 44-37 lead going into the final quarter.
 
NIU shot 40 percent from the field and held Kent State to 32.7 percent. The Huskies also held the Golden Flashes to 6-for-34 from the three-point line. Davis led NIU with 16 points and seven rebounds. Koker and Poisson each had 13 points with Koker adding a game-high five assists. Blackford led Kent State with a game-high 24 points and 15 rebounds.
 
The Huskies go on the road this Saturday, Jan. 29 to face Buffalo at 1 p.m. CT.
 
--NIU--