DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University women's basketball team shot 45.7 percent from the field in the second half Sunday afternoon against the Benedictine Eagles to pull away and win 72-48 at the NIU Convocation Center in exhibition action.
"It's always good to get on the floor and experience the game atmosphere before the season starts," said head coach
Lisa Carlsen. "We got better as the game went on. We were better in the second half, especially defensively. I thought we did a good job sharing the basketball. Those are all things that we have to be good at on a night-to-night basis in order to have success."
NIU had seven players score at least six points Sunday, led by graduate forward
Brooke Stonebraker's 12 points.
Alecia Doyle (Carterville, Ill./Carterville) added 10 points and a game-high three steals.
Laura Nickel (Marshall Wis./Marshall) filled the box score with six points, six rebounds and a game-high seven assists. As a team, NIU assisted on 23 of 30 made baskets.
The Huskies never trailed but Benedictine hung with NIU early, getting within one point on an Addison Bryant three that made the score 10-9 with 3:19 to go in the opening quarter. NIU responded with a
Brooke Blumenfeld (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) basket and a Doyle three to go up 15-9. NIU led by eight, 23-15, with 7:12 to go in the second when Benedictine went on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 25-25 at the 3:31 mark. The Huskies held the Eagles scoreless for the remainder of the half. NIU closed the half on a 9-0 run, capped by a
Sidney McCrea (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie) three, to take a 34-25 lead into the break.
NIU's 9-0 run snowballed into an 18-2 run early in the third as a
Brooke Stonebraker layup put the Huskies up 43-27 with 6:48 to go. The advantage grew to 20 three minutes later as a
Marta Hermoso (Seville, Spain/McNeese State) layup from
Shannon Blacher (Burr Ridge, Ill./Montini Catholic) made the score 49-29. Benedictine got as close as 13, but another Hermoso basket sparked a 14-0 NIU run that gave the Huskies a 63-36 lead with 7:11 to go. NIU took its largest lead of the game at the 5:32 mark when a Blacher layup made the score 68-39.
NIU shot 43.5 percent from the field, holding Benedictine to 32 percent. The Huskies dominated on the glass with a 51-25 rebounding edge, turning 20 offensive rebounds into 21 second chance points.
"We got some good looks in the first half," Carlsen said. "If we're executing and getting the right shots I feel pretty good about where we're at."
The Huskies open the 2024-25 season at home on Monday, Nov. 4 against Louisiana for Education Day at 11 a.m. Women's basketball season tickets, as well as single-game tickets, are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com and by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at (815) 753-PACK (7225). Pricing starts at just $35 for general admission seats and $50 for reserved tickets located in section 103 as well as 111-113. Courtside seat season tickets for NIU women's basketball are available for $275 which includes the cost of a season ticket plus a $225 per seat license.
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