DeKALB, Ill. -  The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team shot over 50 percent from the field in the second half to pull away and win 75-66 over the Detroit Mercy Titans Sunday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center.
 
Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill. /Bolingbrook) scored a game-high 17 points, adding three assists and two rebounds. Thirteen of her 17 points came in the second half.  Brooke Stonebraker (Versailles, Ohio/Versailles) and Tara Stauffacher (Columbus, Wis./Beaver Dam) also reached double digits in scoring with 13 and 10 points respectively. Stonebraker also led the game with seven rebounds.
 
"I was proud of how we played for 40 minutes and how well we stuck together," head coach Lisa Carlsen said. "We were better in the second half, especially defensively, and that was critical. I would have liked for us to hit more free throws during the game but we hit some key ones down the stretch which were big for us. Detroit is a really good team and I am proud of this group."
 
NIU (4-5) fell behind 25-18 with 6:20 to go in the second quarter after an Emma Trawally Porta layup and Kamari Forest free throw. A Marable layup, followed by a Stauffacher three, sparked a 9-2 Huskies run that tied the game at 27-27 with 3:13 to go in the half. The Titans took a 31-28 lead on a Jada Moorehead jumper with 1:46 left in the quarter, but it was the Huskies who would take a lead into the locker room. Grace Hunter (Monroeville, Ind./Bellmont) scored the final five points of the half, knocking down a three then stealing the ball with 0:09 left and putting in a layup to give NIU a 33-31 edge.
 
The Huskies extended their lead to five, 42-37, at the 7:27 mark of the third on a Stauffacher triple. Detroit Mercy cut the lead to one with 6:23 to go as back-to-back Trawally Porta baskets made the score 42-41. Marable started a stretch of five straight points with a jumper on NIU's next possession, with the Huskies taking a 47-41 lead. The senior capped a nine-point quarter with a three-pointer at the 2:52 mark that put NIU up by five, 50-45.
 
Detroit Mercy (7-4) used a 7-1 run to regain the lead, 55-54, with 8:29 to go. A layup from Stonebraker, assisted by Marable, sparked an 8-0 NIU run that put the Huskies back in front 62-55 with 4:02 to go. The Huskies held the Titans scoreless for almost five minutes, holding Detroit Mercy to 0-for-5 from the field in that run with three turnovers. Detroit Mercy got as close as four with 2:26 to play when an Irene Mudra basket made the score 66-62. Stonebraker answered with her first career three-pointer to make the score 69-62 and put the game out of reach.
 
"Going into the fourth quarter we knew we were going to have to make stops and score," Stauffacher said. That's the kind of mentality we have going into games, especially in the fourth quarter in a close game. We really focused on the defensive side because we knew that was going to build our offense."
 
NIU shot 47.3 percent from the field and was 9-for-16 from the three-point arc. Detroit Mercy finished the game shooting 40 percent from the field, but the Huskies held the Titans to 20 percent from long range. Trawally Porta led Detroit Mercy wit 16 points as Murua had 15 points and six rebounds.
 
"I think we are continuing to get better every game," Carlsen said. "The next game will be the same. Eastern Illinois is a good ball club and I think this game will help prepare us for that one."
 
NIU is next in action at the Convocation Center on Monday, Dec. 18 against Eastern Illinois at 5 p.m. The game is the first of a doubleheader that night with the NIU men's basketball team hosting Calumet College at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, log on to NIUHuskies.com/myhuskies or call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
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