SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team took on its first ranked opponent in 11 years in the season opener Monday night, falling 88-48 to #9/10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.

Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) led the Huskies with 14 points, making 6-of-14 shots from the field. Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) added 11 points. A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds and two assists. The Huskies outrebounded the Fighting Irish on the night 45-43.

"I was really proud of our effort on the glass and I think we did some nice things in the half court," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "Give Notre Dame a lot of credit because they sped us up at times and we really didn't handle the ball as clearly as we'd like to. We gave up 88 points and a lot of those came off turnovers."

NIU (0-1) and Notre Dame traded baskets to start the game. Layups from Davis and Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) were answered by an Olivia Miles three and a Kylee Watson basket that put the Fighting Irish ahead 5-4 with 7:37 to play in the opening quarter. Notre Dame grew its lead to 9-4 before a Laura Nickel (Marshall, Wis./Marshall) three-pointer got the Huskies within two, 9-7, at the 5:53 mark. The Fighting Irish then went on a 10-2 run over the next 5:28 with a Miles three-point play giving Notre Dame a 19-9 lead.

Notre Dame (1-0) took its largest lead of the first half at the 3:47 mark of the second quarter when a Maddy Westbeld layup in transition put the Fighting Irish up by 20, 37-17. Poisson then made her first three of the season with 2:36 left and proceeded to score the final seven points for NIU in the half, making the halftime score 41-24.

The Fighting Irish opened the third quarter on a 10-3 run, bookended by Dara Mabrey threes, to take a 51-27 lead with 7:54 left in the period. Marable scored NIU's first seven points of the third, as her layup at the 4:56 mark made the score 59-31. Notre Dame closed the third quarter ahead 68-34.

NIU was held to 27.5 percent shooting from the field and was 5-for-17 from the three-point line. Notre Dame forced 22 Huskies turnovers and scored 23 points off those miscues. Miles led all scorers with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Mabrey added 16 points.

The Huskies return to the Convocation Center on Saturday, Nov. 12 to face DePaul at 1 p.m. in the home opener. Single-game and season tickets are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com. Season ticket pricing begins at just $35 for general admission seating and $50 for reserved seats. NIU faculty and staff, members of the NIU Alumni Association or Varsity Club and senior citizens can purchase women's basketball season tickets for $40.
 
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