MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Central Michigan Chippewas outscored the Northern Illinois University women's basketball team 29-10 in the second quarter Wednesday night, going on to win 79-62 in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams at McGuirk Arena.

"They were just a step quicker than we were," said head coach Lisa Carlsen following Wednesday night's game. "We were not able to keep the ball out of the paint. It's such a mental game, and you have to find that balance of intensity yet not being so tight that it impacts what you're trying to do on the floor. Every MAC game has a life of its own, so its on to our MAC home opener Saturday."

Senior forward A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) led NIU with 17 points and 11 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. Chelby Koker (Racine, Wis./Shoreland Lutheran) added 15 points and three three-pointers.

NIU (8-4, 0-1 MAC) fell behind 5-3 early, but a Davis layup sparked a 7-0 NIU run that put the Huskies up 10-5 with 6:44 to go in the first quarter. A Koker three capped the run, her second of the game. CMU closed within a point twice with a Rochelle Norris layup making the score 14-13 with 3:34 left in the first. NIU then went on an 8-2 run over the next 2:32 with a pair of Davis free throws giving the Huskies a 22-15 lead with 19.6 seconds left, their largest of the quarter. Norris beat the buzzer to put the Chippewas within five, 22-17, after one quarter of play.

After the two teams traded baskets to start the second, CMU (3-9, 1-0 MAC) went on an 11-2 run over 2:58 to take a 30-26 lead, with a Bridget Utberg three prompting an NIU timeout at the 5:27 mark. Davis put in the Huskies' first basket in nearly three minutes with 3:47 to go to make the score 32-28. Sparked by three straight triples from Utberg and Tiana Timpe, CMU closed the quarter on a 14-4 run to take a 46-32 halftime lead. The Chippewas shot 91.7 percent from the field in the second and were a perfect 5-for-5 from the three-point line. NIU shot 30.8 percent from the field in the second quarter after shooting 56.3 percent in the first.

CMU took its largest lead of the game at the 4:51 mark of the third quarter when Norris made two free throws to put the Chippewas up 21, 59-38. Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) responded with back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to 15, 59-44, with 4:03 to go in the third. NIU got within 13 at the 1:14 mark when baskets from Davis and Emily Meinert (Galesburg, Ill./Parkland College) made the score 63-50. Sydney Harris knocked down a three in the final seconds of the quarter to put the CMU lead back to 16, 66-50.

The Huskies made one last run to start the fourth. Three-pointers from Koker and Poisson highlighted an 8-0 run over the first 1:40 of the quarter, cutting the Chippewas lead in half 66-58. That was as close as NIU would get. CMU answered with a 10-0 run over 5:19 to go up 18, 76-58, with 1:59 to go.

NIU shot 43.4 percent from the field but CMU shot 57.7 percent. The Chippewas were also 9-for-17 from the three-point line. Harris led all scorers with 21 points as Harris had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The Huskies return home on Saturday, Jan. 7 to take on the Toledo Rockets. Tip-off at the NIU Convocation Center is at 1 p.m. For tickets to Saturday's game, as well as the rest of the 2022-23 season, log on to NIUHuskies.com or call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at (815) 753-PACK (7225). General Admission tickets are $6 with reserved seats at $8.
 
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