DeKALB, IL – Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) made a career-high nine three-pointers and scored a game-high 32 points Thursday night as the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team won 100-61 over the Western Illinois Leathernecks at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
"We were prepared for what Western Illinois was going to defensively, and we did a good job of sharing the ball," said Poisson after her career night Thursday. "While it was fun to take as many shots as I did, I want to be a more well-rounded player. It was good to get everyone else involved because it makes us better as a team."
 
Poisson's previous career-high was 27 points at Kent State on Jan. 11, 2017. She was 9-for-15 from the three-point line, giving her 200 career threes. Poisson is the fifth player in NIU history to reach 200 three-pointers. The graduate guard also eclipsed 1,000 career points, entering the night 30 away from the milestone. Her nine threes Thursday night are tied for the most in the country in a single-game so far this season. Cayla King of Virginia Tech made nine on Nov. 7 against Mount St. Mary's.
 
"Shooting is contagious and Janae put us in a situation where we really got going," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "A lot of people jumped on board. It was a lot of fun to watch."
 
NIU (3-1) led 21-17 after the first quarter, then ran away in the second. Sparked by Poisson's third three of the game, the Huskies went on a 21-2 run over 5:32 to take a 47-25 lead with 1:30 to go until halftime. Poisson made three triples in that run with Sidney McCrea (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie) adding two of her own. Western Illinois scored six of the last seven points to cut the halftime advantage of NIU to 17, 48-31.
 
The Huskies got the lead back up to 22 early in the third when Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) and Laura Nickel (Marshall, Wis./Marshall) each scored five points in a 10-2 run that put NIU up 58-36 with 7:41 to go. Poisson then made three straight threes, reaching 24 points with 4:55 to go as the Huskies took a 67-41 lead. She scored eight more points in the quarter, fittingly eclipsing 1,000 career points on her ninth and final three-pointer of the game at the 1:10 mark. Poisson's last three capped a 14-2 run that put NIU ahead 81-45.
 
After leading 21-17 through 10 minutes, NIU outscored Western Illinois 60-30 in the middle two quarters. The Huskies finished the night with a school-record 21 threes, besting the previous mark of 18 set on Dec. 4, 2020 in a win at Eastern Illinois. Moriah Prewitt (Urbandale, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) made the record-breaking three at the 4:01 mark of the fourth quarter. It also marked the first time NIU reached 100 points in regulation since a 104-73 win over Central Michigan. NIU extended its home court winning streak to seven games with the victory over the Leathernecks.
 
All 14 players that saw playing time for NIU scored in the game. A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) had 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Koker led all players with nine assists as Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) tied a career-high with six to go with seven points, a career-high seven rebounds and three steals.
 
NIU now embarks on a stretch of five straight games on the road, starting on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at Detroit Mercy. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. CT.
 
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