DeKALB, IL - The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team outlasted the Central Michigan Chippewas in double overtime Saturday, 84-80, at the NIU Convocation Center on Senior Day to earn a key victory in the race for a Mid-American Conference tournament berth.
 
"I think that's what you expect from late season basketball," said head coach Lisa Carlsen. "Everybody's fighting for similar things. I was proud of our continued resiliency during some tough times. We have a few possessions that we would like to have back, but I thought we did a good job of staying the course".
 
NIU (15-12, 7-9 MAC) controlled the glass with 51 rebounds, outrebounding Central Michigan by 16. The Huskies also made a season-high 28 free throws on 37 attempts. NIU honored its four seniors after Saturday's game, with all four contributing to the victory. A'Jah Davis (DeKalb, Ill./Montverde Academy [Fla.]) recorded 20 points, a game-high 19 rebounds and a season-high six assists. With this performance, Davis achieved her 50^th career double-double to tie Tammy Hinchee for the NIU career record. Emily Meinert (Galesburg, Ill./Parkland College) scored a career-high 14 points and added seven rebounds. Janae Poisson (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) and Emma Carter (Bristol, Vt./Franklin Pierce) each had six points.
 
"I'm proud of them all the same, but their journeys have been so different," Carlsen said of her four seniors. "A'Jah and Janae have been through the ups and downs and the growth that goes with it, and we added Emily and Emma along the way and they have been an integral part of what we have tried to do. Because of that I think they're going to leave here and be great members of their communities."
 
The Huskies led 52-47 going into the fourth quarter. Meinert and Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) combined to go on a 7-0 run early in the fourth to put NIU up by 10, 59-49, with 7:32 to go. A Bridget Utberg jumper started a 9-2 CMU run over the next 2:45 that got the Chippewas within three, 61-58. With 3:16 to go Utberg made a three-pointer, then converted a three-point play to give Central Michigan a 64-63 lead with 2:34 to play. The two teams traded baskets with the Chippewas taking a 67-65 lead with 1:13 remaining in regulation. Laura Nickel (Marshall, Wis./Marshall) tied the game at 67 with 0:51 left with two free throws. Both defenses held their ground in the final seconds to send the game to overtime.
 
Central Michigan (6-21, 4-12 MAC) used a 6-2 run in overtime, capped by a Mikala Hall layup, to take a 73-71 lead with 2:06 to go. That was the Chippewas last field goal of the first overtime. With 0:39 left Meinert took a Marable pass to the basket for a layup to tie the game at 73. The Huskies forced a missed shot on CMU's next possession to have a chance to win it. CMU returned the favor as Anika Weekes blocked Nickel's potential game-winning shot to send the game to a second overtime.
 
Davis and Jayden Marable (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) combined to score the first five points for NIU in the second extra period, putting the Huskies up 78-75 with 3:45 left. The two teams traded baskets with a Marable jumper giving NIU an 80-77 lead with 3:05 remaining. Sydney Harris tied the game, 80-80, with her fourth three at the 2:38 mark. The Huskies shut down the Chippewas from there. Davis put NIU ahead for good with a put-back layup with 31 seconds left, and Marable made two foul shots with 0:12 to go to cap a career-high 23-point day to make the final score 84-80.
 
"Jayden played all 50 minutes and she got better in minutes 40 through 50," Carlsen said. "I couldn't be more proud of what she was able to do today."
 
Sparked by Carter's second three of the first quarter, NIU went on an 11-2 run to take an 18-9 lead at the 2:21 mark. Davis scored the last eight points of that stretch. The lead grew to 11 with 8:23 to go in the second quarter as back-to-back baskets from Marable and Meinert made the score 24-13. Davis secured her double-double at the 5:41 mark of the second, making a layup that gave her 11 points and 11 rebounds up to that point. The Huskies led by as much as 14 in the quarter and took a 39-28 lead into the halftime break.
 
Harris led all scorers with 31 points. Utberg added 19 points and a game-high seven rebounds.  
 
NIU hosts Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, March 1 at 6 p.m. CT in the final regular season home game. For tickets, log on to NIUHuskies.com or call the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).
 
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